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After three years away from the game, ex-New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is making an NFL comeback in 2021, well sort of.
New York Post Sports Media Columnist, Andrew Marchand revealed on Monday afternoon that the former USC superstar quarterback is set to join Fox as an NFL game analyst.
After retiring from football in 2019, Sanchez joined ESPN as a college football studio analyst. This new role will not only take him away from the mothership, but it will also take him away from the world of collegiate sports.
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The Former USC Star Is Returning to His Roots
Sanchez was at USC from 2005 through 2008 and had a remarkable run that was highlighted by a Rose Bowl victory and the MVP award from that contest. All of that success led to the 2009 NFL draft where the Jets made a bold move trading up from No. 17 to No. 5 to select the Mexican-American star.
Sanchez spent over a decade in the NFL, the most of which was a four-year run with the Jets. During that span, he received the moniker, “The Sanchize” as he picked up this lowly franchise and took them to the doorstep of the Super Bowl twice in a row (2009 and 2010).
Now he’ll get a chance to return to the spotlight with his new gig.
He’s expected to join Kevin Kugler in the booth on Sundays this fall, per the Marchand report. That spot was previously held by Chris Spielman who left his position to rejoin the Detroit Lions front office.
This will be an amazing opportunity for Sanchez to show his colorful personality and reconnect with NFL fans on a weekly basis.
A Forgotten Legacy
Sanchez is unfairly tied to his lasting impression at the professional level, “the butt fumble.” That overshadows what was an amazing run where a top-five pick became a franchise savior.
While it didn’t end in Super Bowl glory, those were the brightest moments Jets fans have enjoyed over the last decade-plus.
Although not everyone remembers him in that light. Recently Sanchez was thrown back into the Jets Twittersphere when PFF ranked him the worst green and white draft pick over the last 15 years.
It was totally disrespectful and much of the fanbase voraciously defended him on social media. Now Sanchez will be able to show how much he has grown since that moment and show off the electric personality that captivated Jets fans.
People forget that not only did Sanchez take the Jets to back-to-back conference titles, but he also won four road playoff games. That in itself would be amazing, but when you consider some of the quarterbacks he took out, his legacy speaks for itself:
- Tom Brady
- Peyton Manning
- Philip Rivers
Sanchez has a chance to become a bigger star in the booth than when he was on the football field. The rise of Tony Romo and his success sets an incredibly high bar for ex-NFL quarterbacks.
If you’ve paid any attention to his post-playing career, Sanchez has a unique way of looking at the game, a funny sense of humor, and football smarts that should translate as a football analyst.
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