What is Mark Sanchez's net worth and salary?
Mark Sanchez is a professional football player who has a net worth of $40 million. Mark Sanchez played in the NFL for multiple teams, including the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to this, he played college football at USC, where he led the Trojans to the Rose Bowl title in 2008. Following his retirement from playing in 2019, Sanchez became a color analyst for NFL coverage on Fox.
Career Earnings and Salary
In June 2009, Mark Sanchez signed a $50 million, five-year contract, that came with $28 million in guaranteed money. In March 2012 he signed a $40.5 million, three-year extension. In March 2015 he signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Eagles. In his last season in the NFL, 2018, the Redskins paid him $322,000. In total Mark earned $74 million in Salary during his NFL career.
Early Life and High School
Mark Sanchez was born on November 11, 1986 in Long Beach, California to Nick Sr. and Olga. He has two brothers named Nick Jr. and Brandon. When Sanchez was still young, his parents divorced; he and his brothers subsequently stayed with their father. At the age of six, he moved with the family to Rancho Santa Margarita. Sanchez was heavily impacted by his father, who put him through rigorous athletic and mental training as a youth. By the time he got to the end of middle school, Sanchez had become interested in playing football. He went on to join the football team at Santa Margarita High School, where he threw a 55-yard touchdown on his first pass attempt. Sanchez transferred to Mission Viejo High School for his junior and senior years. There, he led the Diablos to a 27-1 record and the California Interscholastic Federation Division II championship title.
Collegiate Career
Coming out of high school, Sanchez was regarded as the top young quarterback in the nation. For college, he committed to the University of Southern California. After redshirting his freshman year, Sanchez made his regular season debut with the Trojans in 2006. However, his season got off to a bad start when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a female USC student. He was ultimately reinstated without facing charges, although he was disciplined by his team for underage drinking and using a false ID on the night of his arrest. Sanchez went on to have a limited season of play. His 2007 season was better, with notable wins against Arizona and Notre Dame. Sanchez's final season at USC in 2008 was by far his best. In the opener at Virginia, he threw for a career-best 338 yards. Moreover, he led the Trojans to the Rose Bowl, where he was named the MVP after leading the team to victory over Penn State. Sanchez subsequently chose to forgo his last year of college eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.
New York Jets
In the 2009 NFL Draft, Sanchez was chosen as the fifth overall pick in the first round by the New York Jets. He was later named the starter for his first season, making him the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the Jets since Dick Jamieson almost 50 years prior. In his debut game of the regular season, Sanchez threw his first career touchdown pass in a win against the Houston Texans. The following week, he led the Jets to a home victory over the New England Patriots, and the week after that helped his team defeat the Tennessee Titans. In the process, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL to start and win his first three games of a regular season. However, his performance soon declined. He recovered later in the season in time to lead the Jets to the playoffs and an AFC Championship appearance. Sanchez finished his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.
After finishing the 2010 regular season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, Sanchez once again led the Jets to the playoffs. In the divisional round, the team upset the favored Patriots 28-21. Ultimately, the Jets fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship. The 2011 season was less auspicious, as the Jets failed to make it to the playoffs and Sanchez fielded widespread criticism for his subpar throwing. His struggles continued in 2012 despite some memorable wins. Sanchez's final season with the Jets in 2013 was curtailed in October due to shoulder surgery. He was released by the team in March of 2014.
Philadelphia Eagles
Shortly after his release from the Jets, Sanchez signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent seven games as backup to Nick Foles, finally filling in for him in a Week 9 victory over the Texans. Sanchez subsequently took over as quarterback when Foles was confirmed to be out with a broken collarbone. He went on to have a fairly impressive remainder of the season with the Eagles, finishing with 2,418 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Sanchez re-signed with the team in 2015, and had an average season.
Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys
Sanchez was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2016. However, after Trevor Siemian was named as the starting quarterback, Sanchez was released by the team in early September. He subsequently signed with the Dallas Cowboys, which claimed the #1 seed in the NFC that season.
Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins
In March of 2017, Sanchez signed with the Chicago Bears. He ultimately didn't see any play that year after placing third on the quarterback depth chart. As a free agent the next year, he was suspended for four games for using performance-enhancing drugs. Sanchez went on to sign with the Washington Redskins, serving as backup to Colt McCoy. Following a poor season, he announced his retirement in July of 2019.
Personal Life
For a number of years, Sanchez was in a relationship with model Hilary Rhoda. Together, they appeared in a photo shoot for GQ magazine.
During his rise to prominence as a college football player at USC, Sanchez became something of a symbol in the Mexican-American community. He was often considered a role model for younger generations of Hispanic people, with his ethnic identity being embraced and foregrounded in the world of sports.