DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Broncos and New York Jets game in London is not the only Broncos-Jets-associated story making headlines.
On Saturday, former Jets and Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez got into an altercation with a man over a parking space in Indianapolis. He was allegedly physical with a 69-year-old truck driver, who pepper-sprayed and stabbed Sanchez to defend himself, AP reports.
The truck driver had to receive treatment for cuts, while Sanchez was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.
Sanchez was initially charged with misdemeanors, including:
- Battery with injury
- Unlawful entry of a motor vehicle
- Public intoxication
He has since received an additional charge, a felony, for battery.
It is unclear if the driver will face any charges, but Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears told AP that Indiana “has some of the most robust self-defense laws in the nation.”
Sanchez was meant to appear at a hearing on Tuesday, but is still hospitalized. The hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 4.
The former quarterback was taken by the Jets with the No. 5 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, after he had a standout career, first as the No. 1-ranked high school quarterback in the nation and then in college at the University of Southern California.
Sanchez had a successful period with the Jets from 2009-2013 before an injury saw him released by the team.
He would go on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Broncos, although he never officially suited up for the team. In the wake of Peyton Manning’s retirement, the Broncos pitted Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch against each other for the starting spot at quarterback.
Siemian was chosen by then-coach Gary Kubiak, and Sanchez was released without lacing up for the Broncos, and only featured in preseason and training camp.
He played sporadically for three more years until his retirement in 2019.
Following his retirement, he began his career as a broadcaster with ESPN, focusing on college football coverage. He later joined Fox Sports, where he called and provided analysis for games and was also a feature on FS1.
Sanchez was covering the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders game in Indiana during the altercation and stabbing incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
