Mark Sanchez, the former NFL quarterback turned broadcaster who was arrested on battery charges related to a public scuffle in Indianapolis last October, has filed a motion to plead guilty to at least one charge, online court records showed Thursday.
Sanchez, who was stabbed in the chest during the incident, was let go by network Fox in the ensuing weeks. He has since been replaced by Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
Prosecutors determined Sanchez to be the alleged aggressor, and charges included a felony count of battery resulting in bodily injury and misdemeanor charges of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, public intoxication endangering the life of another and battery resulting in bodily injury.
Subsequently the other party in the incident, 69-year-old Perry Tole, filed a lawsuit in a civil suit.
The motion, which included a plea deal, was filed in Marion County (Ind.) Superior Court. Should a judge approve the deal, a sentencing hearing could occur in November.
“This (plea) is a positive development,” older brother and legal adviser Nick Sanchez Jr. said in a statement issued to the IndyStar. “We are finalizing an agreement with the prosecutor’s office that provides a path toward resolving the state’s case.”
Sanchez, 39, was selected by the New York Jets with the fifth overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft and guided the club to two straight AFC Championship Game appearances. He posted a 37-36 record and threw for 15,357 yards with 86 touchdowns and 89 interceptions with the Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and the Washington franchise.
In college, Sanchez was a big star for Southern California in 2008 when he passed for 3,207 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Trojans went 12-1 and finished the campaign as the No. 3 team in the land.