Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for 10 seasons. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...
and was selected by the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
in the first round (fifth overall) of the
2009 NFL draft. Sanchez is currently a
color analyst
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
for NFL coverage on
Fox and
Fox Sports 1
Fox Sports 1 (branded on-air as FS1) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 airs an array of live sporting events, including Majo ...
.
A backup quarterback during his first three years at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
, Sanchez rose to prominence in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback
John David Booty; he also became popular within the Los Angeles community due to his
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...
heritage. Sanchez was named the starter in 2008, and led USC to a 12–1 record and won the
Rose Bowl against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
. Although USC coach
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
and many
scouts
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
considered him too inexperienced, Sanchez entered the
2009 NFL draft and was selected by the Jets in the first round.
Despite a subpar first season, Sanchez led the Jets to the
AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
, a losing effort to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez again led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, losing to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
; he joined
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.
The next two seasons would be a regression for both the team and Sanchez as they failed to reach the playoffs and he was eventually replaced towards the end of the 2012 season by
Greg McElroy. Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the preseason in 2013; he was released after the season concluded and was subsequently signed by the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. After Eagles starter
Nick Foles
Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
went down with an injury, Sanchez started the second half of the season and set career highs in completion percentage and passer rating. Nevertheless, Sanchez was unable to reestablish himself as a starter and spent one season each as a backup for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
,
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
before retiring after the 2018 season.
Early life
Mark Travis John Sanchez was born in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, to Nick Sr. and Olga Sanchez.
When Sanchez was four, his parents divorced; Sanchez and his brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon, stayed with their father but their mother remained involved in their upbringing.
Sanchez initially lived in
Whittier and
Pico Rivera; when Sanchez was six, his father moved with the children to
Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains, in present day San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, central California.
The List of Ranchos of Cali ...
, a predominantly
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
city in
Orange County.
Sanchez's father remarried and raised them strictly, seeking to influence them to become leaders.
Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Sanchez's father would have him combine athletic and mental training. Mark would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting
multiplication tables; practice baseball swings in a
batting cage while answering questions about the
periodic table
The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the elements, is an ordered arrangement of the chemical elements into rows (" periods") and columns (" groups"). It is an icon of chemistry and is widely used in physics and other s ...
and similar combined drills that his father hoped would develop quick thinking and self-confidence that would guide Sanchez in all areas of life and not simply sports.
By the time Sanchez entered the eighth grade, he had developed an interest in football but was unsure of what position to play. Sanchez's father consulted coaches Bill Cunerty, who formerly coached at
Saddleback College, and Bob Johnson, the head coach at
Mission Viejo High School
Mission Viejo High School is a four-year comprehensive education, comprehensive State school, public secondary education in the United States, high school located in Mission Viejo, California, United States, as part of the Saddleback Valley Unifi ...
.
Both coaches stated Sanchez could be a quarterback if he applied himself and was open to learning the intricacies of the position.
Sanchez's father trained him during sessions in their backyard or at the park.
Sanchez, who was attending
Santa Margarita High School, joined the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team. During his first Varsity
pass attempt as a sophomore in a game against El Modena High School, Sanchez threw a 55-yard touchdown to WR Bobby Whithorne on the first play of the fourth quarter to help Santa Margarita win 17–10.
Prior to his junior year of high school, Sanchez transferred to Mission Viejo,
where Johnson, who was recognized as a "quarterback guru", having trained professionals like
Carson Palmer, was head coach. Under Johnson's tutelage, Sanchez felt that he would have a better opportunity to become a better player.
Johnson tutored Mark on the complexities of the position and in two seasons with the team, Mark led the Diablos to a 27–1 record culminating with the
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...
Division II championship in 2004.
Sanchez was named football player of the year by several major college recruiting services and was considered the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of his high school football career in 2005.
In July 2004, Sanchez announced his commitment to the University of Southern California.
College career
2005 season
Being named the nation's top quarterback coming out of high school, Sanchez was well regarded upon his arrival at USC. With upperclassmen
Matt Leinart and
John David Booty returning, he did not play during his freshman year in
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, opting to
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Sports
* Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...
to preserve a year of eligibility.
During this time, Sanchez participated as the quarterback of USC's
scout team
The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football
Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of ...
, earning the Trojans' Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.
2006 season
In April 2006, Sanchez was arrested after a female USC student accused him of sexual assault. Sanchez was released from jail the following day and suspended. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced no charges would be filed, and Sanchez was reinstated, though he was disciplined by the football team for underage drinking and using false identification on the night he was arrested.
At the outset of the
2006 season, Sanchez competed for the starting quarterback position; once Booty, a
junior, suffered severe back spasms caused by a pre-existing back condition, surgery was required and Sanchez was promoted to run the first-team offense during the spring as Booty recovered. Coaches stated Booty would be considered the starting quarterback when he returned for fall practice.
During the
2006 season, Sanchez saw limited playing time in games against
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
Stanford
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
and
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. Through those three games, he completed three of seven pass attempts for 63 yards and an interception.
Sanchez also saw additional action against
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
,
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, and
Notre Dame, but did not attempt any passes in those contests.
2007 season

In fall practice, before
USC's 2007 season, Sanchez broke his right thumb, missing the first game against
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
; Sanchez returned the following week and served as the primary backup to Booty.
Sanchez earned limited playing time in wins against
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
and
Washington State
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
.
He was named the starting quarterback by head coach
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
against Arizona after Booty suffered a broken finger during a narrow 24–23 loss to
Stanford
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
.
On October 13, Sanchez led USC to a 20–13 victory, overcoming a wavering performance during the first half of the game in which he threw two interceptions, as
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
went on to tie the game heading into halftime.
During the second half, Sanchez was more proficient in passing the ball and ultimately finished the game completing 19-of-31 passes for 130 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.
With Booty still recovering from his injury, USC elected to start Sanchez for a second consecutive week against
Notre Dame; he made significant improvements, completing 21-of-38 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns during the 38–0 victory.
On October 27, Sanchez started for the final time in place of the injured Booty in a road game against
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
at
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone severa ...
.
USC lost 24–17; Sanchez had two passes intercepted by Oregon
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
Matthew Harper in the second half.
The first interception led to a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Oregon a 14-point lead and the second interception ended USC's final chance for a comeback.
In spite of a myriad of mistakes committed by his teammates in addition to his own, Sanchez publicly accepted blame for the loss.
The following week, against
Oregon State, Booty returned as USC's starting quarterback, with Sanchez resuming his position as Booty's backup. Sanchez did not perform in subsequent games and finished the season with 695 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.
2008 season

Sanchez entered spring practice after the
2008 season as the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position, but faced strong competition from redshirt freshman
Aaron Corp and
Mitch Mustain, a transfer from
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, where he had been the starting quarterback; Mustain, like Sanchez, was named the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of high school career in 2006.
By the end of spring practice, Carroll announced Sanchez would be the starting quarterback heading into the fall. During the first week of fall camp, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during
warm-ups prior to practice; trainers immediately put the kneecap back into place. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener against
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. Prior to the opener, he was contacted by USC's previous three quarterbacks—
Carson Palmer, Leinart, and Booty—who wished Sanchez well and offered general advice.

In the season-opener at Virginia, Sanchez threw for a career-best 338 yards, completing 26-of-35 passes for three touchdowns and an interception. The
Davey O'Brien Foundation named him the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week and his performance garnered early
Heisman discussion. The Trojans suffered a stunning 27–21 loss against
Oregon State on September 25. By the end of the season, the Trojans' lone loss was enough to remove them from contending for the
BCS National Title and instead they were to play in the
Rose Bowl against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
.
The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 38–24. Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense; his 413 passing yards ranked second in the history of the Rose Bowl and fourth in Trojan history.
With Sanchez starting all 13 games, the Trojans ended the season 12–1 and ranked number two in the
Coaches' Poll
In the United States, the Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I (NCAA), Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I (NCAA), Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. ...
and number three in the
AP Poll.
Sanchez finished the season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns (second most in Trojan history, behind Leinart), and 10 interceptions.
Upon the conclusion of the Rose Bowl, Sanchez stated it would be "hard to say goodbye to
SC I don't think I can do it." However, with the subsequent announcement that other NFL-caliber quarterbacks, such as
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
,
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
, and
Colt McCoy had decided to stay in school, rumors arose that Sanchez would use the opportunity to enter the
2009 NFL draft. On January 15, Sanchez announced his plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft, although he continued as a USC student and completed work on his
degree in the spring of 2009 while preparing for the draft.
Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to leave school early for the NFL since
Todd Marinovich did so after the 1990 season. During the press conference, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that he did not agree with Sanchez's decision, and advised him of the low success-rate of quarterbacks who left college early.
Despite the public disagreement, the two remained close afterward.
College statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
Sanchez hired his older brother and business
litigator, Nick Sanchez Jr., to be his
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
alongside David Dunn, who represented Carson Palmer. Sanchez received an invitation to the 2009
Scouting Combine, where his performance was well received. He was ranked as one of the top two quarterbacks, behind fellow junior
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
from the
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...
. In the final days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed serious interest in Sanchez, including the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
(fourth overall selection),
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(fifth overall selection),
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
(13th overall selection), and
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(17th overall selection).
New York Jets
2009 season
The
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
drafted Sanchez in the first round as the fifth overall pick in the
2009 NFL draft, making him the first quarterback selected by the Jets in the first round since
Chad Pennington went 18th overall in the
2000 NFL draft
The 2000 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Theat ...
.
To select Sanchez, the Jets traded their first and second round selections and three players,
Kenyon Coleman,
Abram Elam, and
Brett Ratliff, to the Browns.
At the time, the selection was lauded as good value for both the team and Sanchez.
Sanchez reached an agreement with the team on June 10, 2009, signing a five-year, $50 million contract, with $28 million guaranteed.
It is the largest contract the Jets signed a player to in franchise history.
Heading into his rookie
training camp
A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, Sanchez was listed as the second quarterback behind veteran
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Vincent Clemens (born June 7, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the New ...
. Jets head coach
Rex Ryan viewed the camp as an opportunity for both quarterbacks to compete against each other to determine the eventual starter for the 2009 season. On August 26, 2009, Sanchez was named the starter, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the team since
Dick Jamieson in 1960.
Sanchez started his first regular season NFL game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
on September 13, 2009, throwing his first touchdown pass, a 30-yard reception, to wide receiver
Chansi Stuckey
Chansi V. Stuckey (born October 4, 1983) is an American former professional gridiron football, football wide receiver. He was selected by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played college football at Clemson Tigers f ...
.
The Jets won by a score of 24–7 with Sanchez throwing for 272 yards, the aforementioned touchdown, and an interception.
He was named the
Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance in the game, the first of three consecutive Rookie of the Week awards.
Sanchez played his first home game a week later against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, a 16–9 victory; it was also his first
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in th ...
division game and his first
rivalry game.
It was the Jets' first victory over New England at home since 2000.
With a 24–17 victory over the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
in Week 3, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to start and win his first three games of an NFL season.
However, his performance began to regress as he had a pass intercepted for a 99-yard touchdown return, and fumbled another attempted pass in the end zone for another touchdown, as the Jets fell to the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in Week 4.
These two plays were enough to spoil an otherwise strong outing from the Jets's defensive unit as the team dropped to a 3–1 record.
Following the loss to New Orleans, Sanchez received criticism in a 16–13 overtime loss to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in Week 6 when he threw five interceptions against a lowly Bills defense that previously had only four interceptions all season long. The Jets ended their losing streak in a 38–0 victory against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in Week 7. Sanchez was criticized after he was seen eating a
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
on the Jets' bench in the fourth quarter.
In the team's second meeting against the Bills on December 3, 2009, Sanchez suffered a
sprain
A sprain is a soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. Ligaments are tough, inelastic fibers made of collagen that connect two or ...
ed
posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the Medial condyl ...
in the third quarter, prompting the veteran Clemens to take his place.
Though there were no setbacks to the injury, head coach Ryan benched Sanchez the following game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
for precautionary reasons, much to Sanchez's dismay.
At 7–7, the Jets had a chance to secure a playoff berth if they won the remainder of their games.
One such game was against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
who had 23 consecutive regular season wins.
Sanchez and the Jets engineered a comeback win following Colts head coach
Jim Caldwell's decision to controversially rest the team starters in the third quarter with a five-point lead.
The following week, on January 3, 2010, Sanchez led the team into the playoffs, despite a subpar effort, completing 8 of 16 passes for 63 yards, en route to a 37–0 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, who rested their starters as the team had already clinched the
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was created after the NFL realign ...
division title and a playoff berth. The manner of the two wins, which gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006, caused many to claim the team had "backed into the playoffs". Sanchez completed his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.
2009 postseason
In the
Wild Card Round, which took place on January 9, 2010, at
Paul Brown Stadium, Sanchez led the Jets to another victory over the Bengals, 24–14, behind his positive performance where he completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown with a
passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leagu ...
of 139.4.
Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first postseason contest, and the second to do so on the road.
The others were
Shaun King (1999 Bucs),
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
(2004 Steelers), and
Joe Flacco (2008 Ravens).
On January 17, 2010, Sanchez, with the help of running back and fellow rookie
Shonn Greene, defeated the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17–14 to attain the Jets' third
AFC Championship appearance in franchise history. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback to win two consecutive playoff games, behind
Joe Flacco.
In a rematch of their regular season meeting with the Colts, Sanchez performed well in the first half however, the offense succumbed to the Colts' defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11-point lead, losing by a score of 30–17.
Sanchez was named to ''
Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
All-Rookie team for his performance during the season, becoming the first Jets quarterback to ever receive the award.
2010 season
On February 17, 2010, Sanchez underwent surgery to repair the
patella ligament in his left knee that he originally injured when he played for USC. The surgery was successful.
Sanchez was expected to miss early workouts and return in time for training camp however Sanchez made a quick recovery and participated in team drills during Organized Team Activities (OTA).
The Jets opened the
2010 season with a 5–1 record despite the passing game being subpar as Sanchez struggled to accurately throw the football. Sanchez recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in a win over the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
on November 7, 2010. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 11 game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. At 10–4, the Jets faced the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
on December 26, 2010, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
Though Sanchez injured his shoulder in a victory over
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
the previous week, he started the game completing 24 of 37 passes for a touchdown and an interception.
However, the Jets were unable to defend the Bears' offense and subsequently lost the game 38–34 after a comeback drive was halted when Sanchez was intercepted.
Fortunately for them, due to a loss by the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
that same day, the Jets clinched the playoff berth.
Sanchez finished the season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
2010 postseason
The Jets finished the season with an 11–5 record and entered the
wild card round facing the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
in a rematch of their previous encounter in the AFC Championship.
Although Sanchez had a subpar performance completing 18 of 31 passes while throwing an interception, he led the team in the final minutes of the game on a comeback drive culminating with kicker
Nick Folk
Nicholas Alexander Folk (born November 5, 1984) is an American professional American football, football placekicker. He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats football, Arizona Wildcats, where he received first-team 2006 All-Pacific-10 ...
kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired.
The Jets went on to face the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in the
divisional round and upset the heavily favored Patriots, 28–21, as Sanchez completed 16 of 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. With the win, Sanchez tied
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the K ...
,
Roger Staubach,
Jake Delhomme, and
Joe Flacco for the second most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history.
The team traveled to the AFC Championship, for a second consecutive season, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 23, 2011.

Heading into halftime trailing 24–3, the team, led by Sanchez, engineered a comeback following a heartfelt speech given by the quarterback at halftime.
Although the Jets' defense did not allow Pittsburgh to score in the second half, the team fell short as their final offensive drive was stymied by the Steelers' defense and the Jets lost 24–19.
2011 season
Prior to the outset of the
2011 season, head coach Rex Ryan named Sanchez a team captain.
The Jets opened the season with a 2–3 record leading to discontent within the clubhouse. The team had begun to stray from their philosophy of consistently running the ball and began to pass more often; however, the offense struggled with this adjustment.
Wide receivers
Plaxico Burress,
Santonio Holmes, and
Derrick Mason approached coach Ryan to question offensive coordinator
Brian Schottenheimer's system as Holmes and Mason averaged only three catches per game and Burress only 2.5 catches through four games.
Additionally, Sanchez drew criticism for his difficulties to effectively throw the ball to his receivers.
The struggles culminated with Holmes getting into a heated argument with another teammate in the huddle during their final regular season game against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. Holmes was benched in the fourth quarter while Sanchez threw three interceptions in the Jets' loss that eliminated the team from playoff contention for the first time in Sanchez's career. Statistically, Sanchez had similar numbers in a comparison to
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
when he concluded his third year of football however, there were concerns that Sanchez was simply an ineffective quarterback and therefore expendable.
During the offseason, Sanchez was criticized by anonymous teammates for his poor work ethic and his inability to improve; these claims were publicly refuted by other teammates. Despite questions surrounding his job security, after New York acquired
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
, the Jets agreed to a 3-year contract extension with Sanchez on March 9, 2012. The contract included $20 million in guarantees.
2012 season
The Jets opened
their 2012 season against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
with Sanchez completing 19 of 27 passes for 266 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception in a 48–28 rout of the Bills. In the subsequent four games, Sanchez became the first quarterback since
Stoney Case in
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
to complete under 50% of his passes in four straight contests as the Jets fell to a 2–3 record.
This led to fierce criticism from the media and fans and prompted calls for Sanchez to be benched in favor of Tim Tebow.
Sanchez snapped this streak against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
on October 14, 2012, completing 11 of 18 passes for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 35–9 victory over Indianapolis.

The following week, the Jets faced their
division rivals, the
Patriots
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
. Despite a second-half lead by New England, the game was tied at the end of regulation forcing overtime. Following a Patriots field goal, Sanchez had the ball knocked out his hand by linebacker
Rob Ninkovich who recovered the fumble and sealed the Patriots' victory.
This was Sanchez's best overall performance to that point in the season as he completed a career record 68% of his passes when attempting 40 or more passes.
Sanchez's struggles continued in the following two games against Miami and Seattle;
in Seattle, Sanchez completed 9 of 22 passes for 124 yards while throwing his fourth
red zone interception of the year and was the fifth game of the season where he completed under 50% of his pass attempts.
The Jets snapped their losing streak in a 27–13 victory over the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
in which Sanchez completed 15 of 20 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. However, his struggles continued in a rematch against New England on Thanksgiving night. Despite completing 26 of 36 of his passes for 301 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, the Jets lost to the Patriots 49–19 and fell to 4–7 as Sanchez turned the ball over twice—each turnover led to Patriots touchdowns. The Jets surrendered 21 points within a 53-second span on 3 turnovers. The play that earned Sanchez the most criticism was a second-quarter fumble where he ran into the backside of lineman
Brandon Moore and the Patriots scored on the resulting fumble; this play, becoming widely known as the ''
butt fumble'', was mocked in the media.
Sanchez started the next week, but was benched in the third quarter of the Jets' contest against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
on December 2, 2012, in favor of third string back-up
Greg McElroy.
Prior to being benched by Rex Ryan, Sanchez threw three interceptions. McElroy threw a touchdown to tight end
Jeff Cumberland
Jeffrey Lionell Cumberland (born May 2, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 2010. He played college football at Illinois.
Early life
Cumberland was selected to the Ohio ...
to score the team's only points in a 7–6 victory over Arizona.
Rex Ryan renamed Sanchez the starting quarterback the following Wednesday after seeking out multiple opinions within the organization. Sanchez returned to complete 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, fumbling once that led to a Jaguars field goal. The Jets won 17–10. In a must-win game against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
to remain in playoff contention, Sanchez struggled; he completed 13 of 28 passes for 131 yards while throwing four interceptions and fumbling the ball in Titans territory in the closing minutes of the Jets' 14–10 defeat. A day later, Ryan named McElroy the starter.
Sanchez started the Jets' final game against the Buffalo Bills after McElroy revealed he had been experiencing concussion symptoms in the days preceding. The Jets were defeated 28–9 with Sanchez completing 17 of 35 passes for 205 yards and two turnovers.
2013 season
Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury on August 24, 2013, in the Jets' third game of the preseason against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
after being tackled by nose tackle
Marvin Austin. The Jets, who drafted rookie quarterback
Geno Smith in the
2013 NFL draft
The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
, named Smith the starter on September 4 with Sanchez still recovering from his injury. On September 14, 2013, Sanchez was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return. After undergoing shoulder surgery on October 8, 2013, it was announced he would miss the rest of the season. After much speculation regarding his future in New York, the Jets released Sanchez on March 21, 2014, the same day they signed
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Norfolk State Spartans football, Norfolk State University. He played quarterback in the National F ...
, the former
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
and
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
quarterback.
Philadelphia Eagles
2014 season
Sanchez signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
on March 29, 2014, for a one-year, $2.25 million contract. After spending seven full games as
Nick Foles
Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
' backup, Sanchez filled-in for an injured Foles, in a Week 9 game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. Throwing for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, Sanchez led the Eagles to a 31–21 win. After the game, Eagles head coach,
Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
, praised Sanchez, saying, "He's a hell of a quarterback and we're excited that we got him." Foles was later confirmed to be out for 6 to 8 weeks with a broken collarbone, meaning Sanchez would take over as the team's quarterback.
On November 10, 2014, Sanchez started his first game for the Eagles and led them in a 45–21 rout of the visiting
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
on
Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
. Even though it was his first start at quarterback since December 2012, Sanchez notched two touchdowns as he threw for 332 yards—the fourth highest total in his NFL career. The victory also marked the first time he had ever thrown for more than 265 yards without an interception.
Sanchez followed this with a 53–20 loss against Green Bay, where he threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted twice and lost two fumbles. Sanchez came back with two consecutive wins, a 43–24 rout of the Titans where he threw for 300 yards in his third consecutive start, and a 33–10 win against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, where he logged 207 yards and a touchdown as well as 28 rushing yards and a score. With the Eagles at a 9–3 record, and his record as a starter at 3–1, the Eagles looked poised to win the NFC East, but after three consecutive losses and playoff elimination, he finished the 2014 season with a 4–4 record as the Eagles starting quarterback. In nine games and eight starts, he threw for 2,418 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 64.0 completion percentage, while rushing for 87 yards and one touchdown, with a career-high 88.4 passer rating.
2015 season
The Eagles re-signed Sanchez to a two-year, $16 million contract on March 8, 2015, but despite his play in the 2014 season, he remained the backup quarterback as Nick Foles was traded for
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
. In Bradford's first several games, he had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and often had a low completion percentage, but head coach Chip Kelly refused to bench Bradford in favor of Sanchez. Ironically, Sanchez would get his first playing time when Bradford was playing his best football of the season.
On November 15, 2015, Sanchez came into a Week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins in relief of injured starter
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
with the Eagles trailing 20–16 late in the 3rd quarter. Sanchez went 14 of 23 with 156 yards and an interception. The interception was costly as it occurred in the endzone when the Eagles were in field goal range down 20–19, which ended up being the final score of the game.
Sanchez was announced as the starter for the Eagles in the Week 11 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after it was revealed that Bradford suffered a separated shoulder and a concussion. Sanchez's opening drive was excellent, completing 100% of his passes and ending it with a 39-yard touchdown pass to
Josh Huff to make the score 7–0. Sanchez continued to play well for the majority of the 1st half, and threw a second touchdown pass to
Darren Sproles, but the Buccaneers offense had already scored 21 points. However, after that drive, Sanchez started to crumble, throwing an interception near the end of the second quarter. Sanchez finished the game with three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in a humiliating 45–17 blowout. His two touchdown passes were the only points scored by the offense.
Sanchez once again put up the only points for the offense in another humiliating blowout, this time a 45–14 loss to the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. Sanchez played relatively well, avoiding a 3-and-out on the first drive with a 5-yard scramble and managing to tie the game 7–7 with a touchdown pass to
Brent Celek, but a defensive meltdown and lack of offensive momentum left the Eagles hopeless, and Sanchez finished his Eagles record with an 0–2 record as starter. Sanchez finished 19 of 27 for 199 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, with a passer rating of 116.1.
Despite his above average passer rating, Sanchez proceeded to go back to the bench the next week due to his winless record as starter, and he would not throw another pass for the rest of the season.
Denver Broncos
On March 11, 2016, Sanchez was traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
for a 2017 conditional draft pick. Prior to his arrival to the Broncos,
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
had retired and
Brock Osweiler had signed with the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. This opened up a competition for the Broncos starting quarterback job between Sanchez, second-year player
Trevor Siemian, and rookie
Paxton Lynch. On August 29, Broncos head coach
Gary Kubiak named Siemian the starting quarterback for the
2016 season. On September 3, 2016, Sanchez was released by the team.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 3, 2016, hours after the Broncos released him, Sanchez signed a one-year $2 million contract with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
,
who were looking to have a veteran presence behind rookie
Dak Prescott, who was named the starter at quarterback while
Tony Romo recovered from a
vertebral compression fracture
A compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebra. It may be due to trauma or due to a weakening of the vertebra (compare with burst fracture). This weakening is seen in patients with osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta, lytic lesions from ...
he suffered during the first quarter of the Cowboys' Week 3 preseason game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
.
In the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles with the Cowboys already having clinched the NFC's #1 seed, Sanchez split time with starter Prescott and backup Romo. Prescott played the first two series of the game, Romo played the third, and Sanchez played the rest of the game. Sanchez completed nine of 17 passes for 85 yards and two interceptions as the Cowboys lost on the road by a score of 27–13.
Chicago Bears
On March 23, 2017, Sanchez signed a one-year contract with the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. The Bears had noted the "positive influence" Sanchez had as a mentor to rookie quarterback
Dak Prescott and looked for him to play a similar role in the development of rookie
Mitchell Trubisky.
On May 30, 2017, Sanchez suffered a small knee injury in his left knee. He missed the remainder of OTA's and the minicamp. In response, the Bears rescinded the waiver request to
Connor Shaw following the injury to Sanchez. Sanchez made the Bears' final roster third on the quarterback depth chart behind Trubisky and
Mike Glennon
Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack football, NC State Wolfpack ...
, but did not play at all in 2017.
On April 13, 2018, Sanchez, while still a free agent, was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Sanchez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and cited "unknowing supplement contamination" in his statement to the media following the suspension.
Washington Redskins

On November 19, 2018, Sanchez signed with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
to serve as the backup to
Colt McCoy, after starter
Alex Smith suffered a season-ending leg injury.
Sanchez made his first appearance with the Redskins for an injured McCoy in a 28–13 loss to his former team, the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. He completed 13 passes from 21 attempts for 100 yards and an interception. Sanchez became the starter after McCoy fractured his fibula in the game. In Week 14, Sanchez was benched at halftime during a 40–16 loss to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in favor for
Josh Johnson, after throwing two interceptions and only 38 yards in the first half. The next day, the Redskins named Johnson their starter for the Week 15 game against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
.
Retirement
Sanchez announced his retirement on July 23, 2019, and subsequently took a position with
ESPN's college football coverage. In 2021, Sanchez moved from ESPN to Fox, where he calls NFL games and appears on FS1 studio shows.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Television and film career
On October 15, 2020, Sanchez was revealed to have partaken in
season four of ''
The Masked Singer'' as "Baby Alien" who is the show's first costume to incorporate a puppet. As
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...
had a hard time figuring out how to remove Baby Alien's mask upon elimination, he had to receive help from the
Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...
to do the job.
Player profile
Early in his career, Sanchez was praised for his ability to maintain composure in the
pocket
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...
amidst
defensive pressure and focus on finding an open
receiver to extend the team's
offensive series.
In his first four years, Sanchez had ten fourth quarter comebacks and twelve game winning drives. These characteristics were highlighted by
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 19 ...
and
Sam Wyche
Samuel David Wyche (; January 5, 1945 – January 2, 2020) was an American professional football quarterback and coach. He was a quarterback and head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and a quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers. As hea ...
and garnered comparisons to
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
. Sanchez was also noted for his proficiency in short passing situations and competitive nature; in December 2010, following dismal performances, Rex Ryan threatened to reduce Sanchez's repetitions with the first-team offense during practice which infuriated Sanchez.
In December 2012, following a series of poor performances that eventually led to his benching,
a panel of former NFL quarterbacks were questioned about Sanchez's different attributes. It was unanimously agreed upon that his arm strength was "good enough" to succeed in the league and that he could be effective while mobile in the pocket.
His regression was mainly attributed to his poor accuracy, a byproduct of his indecisive mentality once the ball is
snapped, and the fact the Jets did little to help surround Sanchez with the talent to overcome his shortcomings.
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent Jaworski (born March 23, 1951), nicknamed "Jaws", is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He played college football for the Youngstown State Pengui ...
commented that Sanchez had lost his confidence which contributed to his decline.
While Sanchez has embraced a
playboy lifestyle
A playboy lifestyle is the lifestyle of a wealthy man with ample time for leisure, who demonstratively is a '' bon vivant'' and man about town who appreciates the pleasures of the world, especially the company of women. The term "playboy" was ...
, drawing comparisons to former Jet
Joe Namath
Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943), nicknamed "Broadway Joe", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seaso ...
,
he was praised by
Brian Schottenheimer for his ability to work with various personalities and build relationships with teammates.
After undergoing knee surgery following his rookie season, Sanchez established "Jets West" in 2010, an annual off-season camp located in his home state of California. Sanchez hosts workouts and offers classroom review sessions for his skill-position teammates on offense for one week. During the
NFL labor dispute, Sanchez managed to organize private workouts with over forty of his teammates.
Personal life

Sanchez is an avid fan of
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
.
He was a presenter at the
2010 Tony Awards, where he introduced a number from the Broadway musical ''
Memphis''.
Sanchez has been involved in multiple charities including the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) is a type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization.
Breakthrough T1D funds research for the development of new therapies and treatments for type 1 diabetes. The organization advocates for federal resear ...
to help raise awareness for
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic cells (beta cells). In healthy persons, beta cells produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone require ...
and
Sam's Club
Sam's West, Inc. (doing business as Sam's Club) is a chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores in the United States owned by Walmart. It was founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam's Wholesale Club. , Sam's ...
's ''Giving Made Simple'' which, helps raise awareness about
childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess adipose tissue, body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on Body mass index, BMI. ...
and how families can prevent it. Sanchez has also worked with the Teddy Atlas Foundation through which he met Aiden Binkley, a terminally ill 11-year-old struck with
rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that develops from mesenchymal cells that have failed to fully differentiate into myocytes of skeletal muscle. Cells of the neoplasm, tumor are identified as rhabdomyoblasts.
The four ...
. Sanchez developed a bond with Binkley and the two remained close friends until Binkley's death in December 2010.
Sanchez's father is a
fire captain for the
Orange County Fire Authority and a member of the national urban search and rescue team. In college, Nick Sanchez played quarterback for
East Los Angeles College and was later a sergeant in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
.
His two older brothers both played college football. Nick Jr. attended
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
, where he played quarterback while Brandon attended
DePauw University
DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...
, where he played on the offensive line.
Nick Jr. went on to attend the
USC Law School and is a business attorney; Brandon became a
mortgage broker
A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary who brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses. Traditionally, banks and other lending institutions have sold their own products. As markets for mortgages have become more competitive, ...
.
Sanchez dated model and former wife of
Sean Avery,
Hilary Rhoda for several years. The two appeared in a
GQ photo shoot. On May 28, 2023, Sanchez married actress
Perry Mattfeld.
In June 2016, a lawsuit filed by
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
alleged that Sanchez's broker conducted a "
ponzi-like scheme" which defrauded Sanchez, as well as
Roy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt (; born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texa ...
and
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who is currently an on-air analyst for MLB Network. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, ...
, out of 30 million.
Mexican-American identity
When Sanchez was elevated to prominence at USC, he found himself a symbol of Mexican-American identity and a role model for younger generations.
[ Sanchez was placed on center stage in Los Angeles, home to more than 4.6 million ]Hispanics
The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term.
The term commonly appli ...
, the majority of whom are of Mexican descent. While there had been previous, successful Mexican-American quarterbacks such as Tom Flores
Thomas Raymond Flores (born March 21, 1937) is an American former professional football player in the American Football League (AFL) and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for nine seasons in the AFL, primar ...
, Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Garcia Kapp (March 19, 1938 – May 8, 2023) was an American football player, coach, and executive. He played college football as a quarterback for the California Golden Bears. Kapp played professionally in the Canadian Footbal ...
, Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, and Marc Bulger, unlike most of his predecessors, Sanchez is a third-generation, full Mexican and none had been embraced to the extent Sanchez was. USC fans began playing up Sanchez's ethnicity by wearing items such as sarapes, lucha libre
''Lucha libre'' (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has develope ...
masks, and homemade "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts. His rise to fame within the Mexican-American community was compared to that of boxer Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born February 4, 1973) is an American Promoter (entertainment), boxing promoter and former professional boxing, professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 list of boxing sextuple ch ...
and baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea (; November 1, 1960 – October 22, 2024), nicknamed "El Toro", was a Mexican professional baseball pitcher. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons, from 1980 to 1997 (except for a one-year sabba ...
.
While starting for an injured John David Booty in 2007, Sanchez wore a custom mouthguard
A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws c ...
that featured the colors of the Mexican flag
The national flag, national flag of Mexico () is a vertical Tricolour (flag), tricolor of green, white, and red with Coat of arms of Mexico, the national coat of arms charge (heraldry), charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meani ...
in honor of his heritage. It became a prominent issue after a nationally televised game against Notre Dame. The mouthpiece became a symbol for two opposing viewpoints: for Mexican-Americans, it was a symbol of unity—Sanchez accepting his heritage; for critics, the gesture symbolized a radical political statement. Sanchez, who was born and raised in the United States, received hate mail
Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwi ...
urging him to return to Mexico. Sanchez responded to the controversy stating, "It's not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It's just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it's all for the best." Overwhelmed by the attention and shying away from politics, Sanchez stopped wearing the mouthpiece, but began participating in other efforts to help the Hispanic community.
Sanchez, who knew how to speak some Spanish but was not fluent, began to take Spanish lessons during his junior year at USC so he could have conversations without the use of a translator. The USC band played " El Matador" when Sanchez would come onto the field. Sanchez participated in a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to first-graders in the city of Long Beach and region of South Bay, and helped Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa give holiday gifts to impoverished families. By the end of his USC career, he had been hailed as a role model for Hispanic youth. Sanchez serves as the Ambassador to the Inner-City Games Los Angeles, an after-school program that provides "at-risk youth" with positive, alternative activities. ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
came to an agreement with the Jets to broadcast all of the team's regular season games in 2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles. The agreement came about due to Sanchez's continued popularity in California.
Career highlights
Awards and honors
NFL records
* Third most postseason road victories by an NFL quarterback: 4 (tied with Jake Delhomme, Len Dawson
Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the K ...
, and Roger Staubach)
* Most playoff victories by a rookie quarterback: 2 (tied with Joe Flacco, Brock Purdy, and Jayden Daniels)
* Most consecutive conference championship game appearances to begin career: 2 (tied with Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
)
New York Jets franchise records
* Most career postseason victories by an NFL quarterback: 4
* Longest touchdown pass in a playoff game (2009): 80
* Most game winning drives in a single season (2010): 6
* Most regular season wins by a starting quarterback in 16 starts (2010): 11 (tied with Ken O'Brien in 1985)
Philadelphia Eagles franchise records
* Most pass completions, game (37, tied with Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
)
References
External links
USC Trojans biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Mark
1986 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
American philanthropists
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
American television sports announcers
Chicago Bears players
College football announcers
Dallas Cowboys players
Denver Broncos players
ESPN people
Fox Sports 1 people
Hispanic and Latino American players of American football
Mission Viejo High School alumni
NFL announcers
New York Jets players
Participants in American reality television series
Philadelphia Eagles players
Players of American football from Long Beach, California
Players of American football from Mission Viejo, California
Santa Margarita Catholic High School alumni
Sportspeople from Rancho Santa Margarita, California
USC Trojans football players
Washington Redskins players