Former NFL quarterback and television analyst Mark Sanchez has reached a tentative settlement agreement in a civil lawsuit filed by the truck driver he allegedly assaulted last year in Indianapolis, according to federal court documents filed Oct. 6.
In October 2025, Sanchez was arrested after allegedly assaulting a truck driver named Perry Tole, who said he stabbed Sanchez in self-defense. Sanchez was in Indianapolis to broadcast a Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts game for Fox Sports, which parted ways with him in November 2025.
Prosecutors in Marion County (Indiana) filed criminal charges against Sanchez, and Tole also filed a civil lawsuit against Sanchez and FOX Corp., in which the truck driver said he "suffered severe permanent disfigurement"
as a result of the attack. The civil case was removed from Marion County Superior Court to federal court in December 2025.
According to court documents filed with the Southern District of Indiana and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, attorneys for Tole, Sanchez and FOX Corporation notified the judge on Oct. 2 that they had reached an agreement in principle. Once the settlement is finalized and signed, Tole's lawyers are expected to file a motion to dismiss the case by Jan. 8.
In September, Sanchez filed a motion to plead guilty to criminal charges related to the incident days before his jury trial was scheduled to begin. He is expected to officially change his plea at a hearing on Nov. 9. Now, he is on track to have the civil case against him dismissed.
Details of the settlement agreement are not immediately clear. Attorneys for Sanchez, Tole and FOX Corp. did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Sports' requests for comment on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
On Sept. 3, after Sanchez filed his motion to plead guilty in the criminal case, Tole's attorney Matt Golitko told USA TODAY Sports the parties were working together to "move forward."
“We are pleased with the constructive and professional conversations we've had with Mr. Sanchez's team," Golitko wrote in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. "Our discussions have been productive and we're on a positive path toward an agreement that will allow the parties to move forward. Mr. Tole appreciates the progress we have achieved and looks forward to an amicable resolution.”
Mark Sanchez stabbing details
The fight between Sanchez and Tole happened on Oct. 4, 2025, in an alley behind the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Tole had his truck parked in the hotel's loading dock area and was preparing to replace the hotel's frying oil when Sanchez approached. Tole told police that Sanchez said the hotel manager did not want him to replace the oil and repeatedly tried to climb into Tole's truck.
After Sanchez shoved Tole, according to the affidavit, the truck driver pepper sprayed Sanchez in the face. When Sanchez continued coming toward him, Tole stabbed Sanchez with a knife. Tole also told police that he smelled alcohol on Sanchez's breath and that the former quarterback's speech was slurred.
Police also reviewed surveillance footage that showed Sanchez grabbing and throwing Tole towards the wall of the Westin and showed the two men fighting in the alley, the affidavit said.
Both men were treated for injuries at a hospital after the altercation.
Sanchez faced several criminal charges including felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, which carries a prison sentence of 1-6 years if convicted. By pleading guilty, Sanchez avoided a jury trial and will learn his fate at a sentencing hearing to be scheduled sometime in November.
Sanchez was the No. 5 overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft after playing his collegiate career at Southern California. He retired in 2019 after stints with five other teams and joined Fox as an NFL analyst in 2021.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-NFL QB Mark Sanchez reaches settlement with truck driver he attacked
