Fox Sports has let go of NFL analyst Mark Sanchez and hired Drew Brees in his place.

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

Sanchez 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. He was in Indianapolis for Fox’s coverage of the Oct. 5 game between the Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders. Sanchez faces a felony battery charge, along with several misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking. Sanchez and Fox Sports also face a civil lawsuit filed by the driver, 69-year-old Perry Tole.

Brees will replace Sanchez on Fox’s No. 4 NFL crew and will 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. NBC and Brees parted ways a couple months later.

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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.

The semi-truck driver, accused of causing a deadly pile-up along the 10 Freeway in Ontario last month, appeared in court again Friday as prosecutors dropped the DUI charges against the man.

The preliminary hearing for Jashanprett Singh, 21, lasted all day in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom as prosecutors outlined their case while Singh’s defense attorney questioned nearly every detail. 

As new details were revealed during the hearing, a detective testified about Singh’s cellphone data analysis, saying his phone had been in use in the minutes leading up to the crash.

“There was usage through the application of WhatsApp as well as the notes application on the phone,” the detective said during the hearing. 

And a motor carrier specialist testified that there were some problems with the truck’s braking system.

“There was a break that was out of adjustment,” the witness said. “The tractor has six brakes, and the trailer has four, so there’s a total of 10 brakes.”

Ontario

Nov 2

Driver accused of fatal Ontario crash no longer charged with DUI after toxicology test, DA says

Immigration

Oct 24

Undocumented man linked to fatal Ontario crash appears in court amid political finger-pointing

As Singh’s attorneys aggressively questioned many of the details presented by the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office, the defense grilled California Highway Patrol Officer Carlos Gonzalez, who had initiated the DUI investigation against Singh.

Court testimony revealed that after Officer Gonzalez spoke with Singh for about 45 minutes, he decided to do an intoxication investigation at the end of the conversation.

The district attorney’s office dropped the DUI charge against Singh after a toxicology report came out.

The DA’s office and Fast Track also shared new video footage that captured the moments leading up to the crash. It was shot from a distance as a fiery explosion occurred from the impact. 

Sign was scheduled to be back in court next week for arraignment. While his DUI charge was dropped, Singh still faces vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving charges. 

Singh remained in custody at no bail.

Singh was allegedly driving a red semi-truck when he crashed into seven other cars on Oct. 21 — three semi-trucks, two pick-up trucks and two cars — at around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Three people died, and three others were injured in the crash. One of the deceased was identified as Jaime Flores Garcia. The three injured people are Maria Macias, Juan Chavez Alvarez, Tamara Lynn Gay, according to the complaint.

Aside from the criminal proceedings, the immigration status of Singh. an Indian nationa, also sparked a debate over who’s responsible for allowing him to stay in the country without authorization for three years. 

The Department of Homeland Security blamed the Biden administration, saying the prior administration issued Singh work authorization in April 2023. Federal officials also blamed the state of California for giving him a commercial driver’s license.

“This criminal illegal alien from India entered the country illegally at the southern border in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden Administration,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.“There is no national CDL. The state of California issued this illegal alien Commercial Drivers License, which is beyond dumb — dangerous and deadly.”

But Governor Newsom’s office accused the Trump administration of twisting facts and exploiting the “tragic situation.”

“The FEDERAL government needs to look within before they cast blame outside,” Newsom’s office told NBCLA in a statement. “The FEDERAL government approved and renewed this individual’s FEDERAL employment authorization multiple times – which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver’s license in accordance with FEDERAL law.”

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