A little less than a year ago, former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez auditioned for his first position in the broadcasting world.
Although that was with CBS, he eventually landed a role with Fox Sports after beginning as an ESPN analyst. Now, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman headed to ESPN, it appears Sanchez could be in line for a serious promotion just one year into his career in the booth.
Of course, the job wouldn’t be his without some friendly competition.
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Brees, Brady Could Beat out Sanchez
According to Andrew Marchand of “The New York Post,” Sanchez is second in line to earn Fox’s second-team role as the color commentator. He reported:
Fox Sports has shown interest in Drew Brees as its No. 2 analyst now that Greg Olsen has been promoted to team with Kevin Burkhardt on its No. 1 team. Sources said if it is not Brees on the No. 2 squad, then former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has a chance to be on Fox’s second team. It is a significant position. Besides receiving the second-best game on the docket each Sunday, Fox has extra playoff games that the second team will call.
Of course, the other name to watch is Tom Brady — once the future Hall of Fame quarterback retires. That could be in 2023, or 2050 knowing Brady.
Marchand noted that “Fox made the biggest splash of them all by signing Tom Brady to a 10-year, $375 million deal.” He continued: “Brady, who will be 45 when the NFL season starts, is not scheduled to begin his broadcasting career until after he is done playing. There is a chance, if the [Tampa Bay] Buccaneers fall in or fail to make the playoffs, that Brady could join Fox for the postseason, which concludes with the Super Bowl.”
Reportedly, “Sanchez impressed Fox Sports producers in his first year after moving over from ESPN.”
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Sanchez Still Involved With Jets
The former first-round talent may be moving on to big things but he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Not only does he co-host “The Exchange” podcast with former center Nick Mangold — which can be found on the New York Jets YouTube channel — but he also makes appearances at team facilities from time to time.
Sanchez and Mangold stopped by Florham Park on May 26, and were seen chatting it up with head coach Robert Saleh. They also took some time to talk Memorial Day Weekend plans with the Jets media team.
While Mangold is more of a cheeseburger guy on MDW, Sanchez joked that he’s got to have a hotdog, in reference to his infamous sideline meal.
For all the heat Sanchez gets, no quarterback has taken the franchise further in the playoffs since the turn of the millennium. The roster may have been stacked around him, but the youngster still got the job done when he needed to.
Now, second-year quarterback Zach Wilson has a supporting cast that’s beginning to rival Sanchez’s. That means much higher expectations these next few seasons.
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Ex-Jets QB Mark Sanchez in the Running for ‘Significant Position’: Report