Former Cowboys Quarterback Facing Felony Charges

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was hospitalized and charged in downtown Indianapolis.

Dallas Cowboys v Philadelphia Eagles — Source: Corey Perrine / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Mark Sanchez is trending for all the wrong reasons. The ex-NFL player turned Fox Sports analyst got himself into a late-night mess in downtown Indianapolis that ended with him stabbed, cuffed, and hit with felony battery charges.

According to Marion County prosecutors, the 38-year-old got into a heated altercation around 3 a.m. Saturday near a hotel loading dock. Witnesses say Sanchez — looking a little too lit — started arguing with a 69-year-old truck driver over a parking spot. Words turned to wildness real quick.

Reports say Sanchez tried to block the truck and even attempted to hop inside the truck to move it. The driver fearing for his life, hit him with some pepper spray, then things went left. Police say the driver, claiming self-defense, ended up stabbing Sanchez multiple times during the struggle. Both men suffered injuries that required medical attention and were promptly rushed to the hospital — Sanchez with stab wounds, the trucker with a busted face.

Authorities booked Sanchez while recovering in the hospital on misdemeanor counts of battery, unlawful entry, and public intoxication. But by Monday, prosecutors had leveled things up — upgrading the charge to felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury after reviewing new footage and medical records. That felony could have him facing up to six years behind bars if convicted.

Indianapolis Police Chief Chris Bailey didn’t mince words during a press conference, saying,

“I don’t care who you are — if you come into our city and commit violence, we’re holding you accountable.”

FOX Sports brought Sanchez to Indianapolis to cover the Colts vs. Raiders game, but after his arrest, the network quickly pulled him from the broadcast. Sanchez is due in court November 4th, assuming he recovers in time.

Sanchez, once a top-five NFL draft pick back in 2009, suited up for the Jets, Eagles, Cowboys, and Washington during his playing days. His short Cowboys run in 2016 had him backing up a rookie Dak Prescott during that breakout season.

Now, the man once known for playoff runs and the viral butt fumble finds himself scrambling again — this time, trying to dodge the hardest hit of his career… from the justice system.

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