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  • Mark Sanchez let go by Fox Sports after stabbing incident in Indianapolis

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    Former NFL quarterback and TV analyst Mark Sanchez has been let go by Fox Sports a month after he was stabbed during a fight in Indianapolis.  

    “We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network,” a Fox Sports spokesman told CBS News on Friday. “There will be no further comment at this time.”

    Sanchez, 38, has been off the air since police said he was stabbed during a fight with a truck driver outside an Indianapolis hotel on Oct. 4. The former quarterback was in Indianapolis for Fox’s coverage of the Oct. 5 game between the Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders.

    NFL broadcaster Mark Sanchez stands on the field before an NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Santa Clara, California.

    Brooke Sutton / Getty Images


    Sanchez faces a felony battery charge, along with several misdemeanors, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking. If convicted, he could face a sentence of between one to six years in prison.

    Sanchez and Fox Sports also face a civil lawsuit filed by the driver, 69-year-old Perry Tole.

    Nick Sanchez Jr., on behalf of the Sanchez family, provided a statement to CBS News on Friday, saying: “It’s been a long month for Mark as he continues to recover from serious injuries while also grieving the loss of a close friend. While the recent news — and its timing — is understandably disappointing, our priority remains his continued healing and recovery.”

    He continued: “Mark deeply values his time at FOX and the exceptional colleagues he’s had the privilege to work with. Those relationships are meaningful and will endure.”

    Fox Sports announced Friday that it has hired former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to replace Sanchez as its No. 4 NFL crew. He will also team up with play-by-play announcer Adam Amin and sideline reporter Kristina Pink. Brees’ first game will be Nov. 16.

    Brees retired from the NFL following the 2020 season after a 20-year career with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans, including leading the Saints to their only Super Bowl title during the 2009 season.

    He joined NBC in 2021 as an analyst for Notre Dame college football games and was in the studio most Sundays for “Football Night in America.” Brees called a wild-card game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals but noticeably struggled. NBC and Brees parted ways a couple of months later.

    Miami Dolphins v Los Angeles Rams

    Drew Brees of ESPN Monday Night Countdown on set before the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California.

    Ric Tapia / Getty Images


    Brees made a studio appearance during “Fox NFL Sunday” earlier this season and is slated to be an analyst for one of Netflix’s two Christmas Day games.

    “Drew is one of the best to ever play the game, and we couldn’t be more excited to have his prolific credentials and unique insights as part of our coverage on Sundays,” said Brad Zager, Fox Sports president of production & operations and executive producer. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Fox Sports family.”

    Brees added in a statement that he appreciated the opportunity to join Fox and that “I hope my passion for this game is reflected in the knowledge and insights I provide to the fans each Sunday.”

    In his first year of eligibility, Brees is among the list of 52 modern-era players being considered for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Brees remains second all-time in league history in passing yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571).

    While Brees takes over, Sanchez’s legal issues will go on.

    An Indianapolis judge scheduled his trial to begin on Dec. 11.

    A police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted Tole, who had backed his truck into a hotel’s loading docks in downtown Indianapolis on Oct. 4. Tole claims in his lawsuit that Sanchez entered the truck without permission, then physically blocked and shoved Tole, who then doused Sanchez with pepper spray.

    When Sanchez advanced after being sprayed, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself, authorities said.

    Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso, according to a police affidavit. A picture of Tole circulating online shows him in a neck brace on a hospital bed, covered in blood with a deep slash to the side of his face.

    Sanchez had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2019. He spent four seasons with the New York Jets and also appeared in games with Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.

    He appeared on ABC and ESPN for two years before joining Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021.

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  • Jared Goff Balancing Aggression and Accuracy as He Chases NFL Record

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    Through seven games of the 2025 season, Jared Goff has been the model of precision for the Detroit Lions, completing a career-best 74.9% of his passes, the second-highest mark in the league, behind only New England rookie Drake Maye.

    But while his efficiency has drawn national attention, Goff is more focused on finding the right balance between staying sharp and taking the occasional deep shot when it’s there.

    When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the veteran quarterback offered a candid self-evaluation of his season so far, and even hinted that he’s still looking to push his own limits.

    ‘There Are Some Areas of Aggressiveness’

    Goff didn’t sugarcoat it. While he’s proud of his consistency, he believes there’s still another level to reach when it comes to being aggressive downfield.

    “I think there are some areas of aggressiveness where I can be a little more aggressive,” Goff said as quoted by Justin Rogers. “I say that, and then I’ll make a poor decision and say I need not be so aggressive in certain situations. Yeah, it’s a double-edged sword there.”

    That push and pull, knowing when to take chances versus when to play it safe, is something Goff has mastered more than most quarterbacks. He’s taken just 13 sacks through seven games and has posted a 116.4 passer rating, the second-highest mark of his career.

    “At the same time, if I’m getting the ball in our guys’ hands underneath, regardless, it doesn’t really matter,” Goff continued.

    That philosophy has helped Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta thrive in Detroit’s high-efficiency offense, which ranks near the top of the NFL in scoring and yards per drive.

    Closing In on NFL History

    If Goff maintains his current pace, he’ll have a shot at breaking Drew Brees’ single-season NFL completion percentage record of 74.4%, set in 2018.

    Not that Goff is paying much attention to the numbers. When asked about potentially etching his name in the record books, the Lions’ signal-caller brushed it off.

    “I won’t think about that,” Goff said. “It’s so dang hard, every week, to play well and win games. Yeah, I’ve been able to keep a pretty good percentage there, but that’s a product of me being kept upright, our guys getting open, and me being pretty accurate with it. Want to try to continue that and see how it goes.”

    It’s a statement that perfectly captures Goff’s mindset: humble, team-first, and focused on the process, not the headlines.

    The Engine of Detroit’s Offense

    The Lions’ success this season has been fueled by balance, a powerful run game led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, combined with Goff’s sharp decision-making and quick release.

    The veteran quarterback’s chemistry with his playmakers has elevated the entire offense. St. Brown already has 538 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Gibbs has piled up 720 scrimmage yards.

    Goff’s ability to spread the ball around and stay efficient has kept the Lions at the top of the NFC standings heading into November, just as Dan Campbell envisioned.

    “It’s so dang hard every week to play well and win games,” Goff repeated. “So for me, it’s just about being consistent, staying in rhythm, and trusting the guys around me.”

    Jared Goff is elite Jared Goff Hall of Fame

    The Bottom Line

    Jared Goff isn’t chasing records; he’s chasing wins. But if his current form holds, he might just make history along the way.

    With pinpoint accuracy, steady leadership, and a calm command of Detroit’s offense, Goff continues to prove that his 2021 trade to Detroit wasn’t the end of his story; it was the beginning of something bigger.

    The Lions’ offense runs through him, and with every perfect throw, he’s rewriting not just the record books, but his legacy.

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    Jeff Bilbrey

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  • Keeler: Broncos landing Zach Wilson at QB? Smart. Settling on Wilson if Bo Nix, Michael Penix are available? Dumb.

    Keeler: Broncos landing Zach Wilson at QB? Smart. Settling on Wilson if Bo Nix, Michael Penix are available? Dumb.

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    Rescuing Zach Wilson is smart. Stopping at Zach Wilson is hubris.

    As a quarterback, Wilson’s merely appetizer material. If the NFL draft is still serving Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. as a main course, and at a reasonable cost, the Broncos would be crazy not to bite.

    A QB room consisting of Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, Ben DiNucci and a seventh-round flier to be named late would be the worst in the division (pending Raiderfoonery ). And arguably the worst in an AFC that’s still loaded with franchise signal-callers.

    In isolation, though, you get it. Landing Wilson from the Jets with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-rounder is a solid, low-cap, low-risk move. It just better not be the only one, at least where the quarterback is concerned.

    After Russell Wilson took the money and ran, the best thing the Broncos could do at QB1 right now is open this competition to the masses. Bring in as many bodies as you can afford until one of them actually sticks.

    And, on paper, this body’s got more upside than most. Maybe. The draftniks at NFL.com three years ago described the 24-year-old Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the ’21 draft, as a “blend (of) Jake Plummer and Johnny Manziel coming out of (BYU).” Which is both awesome (the Plummer part) and terrifying (the Manziel part) in the same sentence.

    On one hand, the kid did beat Russell Wilson, head-to-head, at Empower Field as a visiting QB with the Jets twice in two trips since September 2022.

    On the other, what the heck does that say?

    If you look at Zach Wilson’s 30 career starts against anyone not named the Broncos, he’s sported a 10-20 record, thrown 23 touchdowns and 22 picks, and completed 17 passes per game at a clip of 56.5%.

    Also, he got benched for Trevor Siemian. 2023 Trevor Siemian.

    Wiser football heads, old coaches and scouts texted me Monday to say they still see a spark in Zach Wilson, that nobody could’ve walked away from the dumpster fire that is the J-E-T-S without some second-degree burns. That maybe Broncos QB Whisperer Sean Payton — Russell Wilson notwithstanding — is the sensei who winds up bringing it out of the guy, the way he brought it out of Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater and Kerry Collins, another top-5 bust in his early days with Carolina.

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    Sean Keeler

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