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Former NFL quarterback the sports analyst has been accused of assault causing harm, being drunk in public, and illegally entering a car following an early morning incident in the city that left him hospitalized with stab wounds.

Key Facts of the Confrontation

According to an affidavit, Sanchez approached a senior delivery man at a hotel loading bay. The driver claimed he believed “Sanchez is trying to kill me” and deployed pepper spray to defend himself. When the spray failed to halt the former athlete from advancing on him, the driver reported stabbing the former quarterback “multiple times”. He then allegedly threw the driver against a trash container before a look of shock appeared on his face and he “ran away”.

Investigators have examined recorded video of the incident. Witnesses reported that both individuals recorded one another with their mobile phones throughout the altercation.

Officials stated in the legal document, “Mr Sanchez is seen chasing [the man] and the video shows him grabbing and throwing [the man] towards the wall of the Westin hotel.”

How It Started

The confrontation allegedly began after the analyst and the driver disagreed about a parking space.

Consequences and Harm

This altercation resulted in knife injuries to his torso, while the driver sustained lacerations to his facial area. The former player was hospitalized for his injuries, which were non-fatal, before he was taken into custody on that day. He is due to appear at a court session on the coming week.

Based on the affidavit, Sanchez informed officers “all he could remember was grabbing for a window.” He could not recall the identity of his assailant or where the incident occurred.

Authorities’ Statement

“What happened should never have happened,” the county attorney said in a statement. “Starting as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated into violence or caused severe harm to anyone. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law in pursuit of justice.”

Professional Impact

Sanchez was in the city to cover the Colts’ game with the opposing team on Sunday afternoon as part of his broadcasting responsibilities. Another former NFL quarterback stepped in for Sanchez in the broadcast booth for Sunday’s game. The network addressed the situation briefly on Sunday’s pregame show, with a presenter remarking: “it’s a confusing situation … our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and everyone affected”.

Sanchez began with the network in recent years and also contributes to sports studio shows.

Background

Before his broadcasting career, Sanchez competed for 10 seasons in the NFL with multiple franchises, including the New York Jets, who drafted him early in the 2009 draft. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and a third franchise. He retired in mid-2019 and shortly thereafter began working with ESPN’s college football coverage before moving to Fox.

Off the field, Sanchez married his wife, his spouse, in 2023. The pair has a family of five.