Embattled former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez broke his silence to pay tribute to his late teammate Nick Mangold, who suddenly passed away Saturday night from complications of kidney disease.
The adored lineman’s death comes just two weeks after he announced he was in need of a transplant. Mangold was 41 years old.
“We lost a good man today,” Sanchez posted to X on Sunday afternoon.
“I know[Nick Mangold] will be a hall-of-famer, but there’s more to his story than his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was more than a teammate. He was my big brother who introduced me to the NFL. He showed me the ropes. He was my friend and confidant. He was a role model and a great father to his children and husband to his wife.
“Our hearts are heavy. We will miss you. Rest easy amigo. I love you big fella. #74.”
The heartfelt tribute marked Sanchez’s first social media address since he was stabbed, hospitalized, and arrested following a violent incident with an elderly grease truck driver in Indianapolis on Oct. 4.
The Fox Sports analyst — in town to call the Week 5 matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts — was believed to be the aggressor of the fracas, and got charged with a felony count of battery involving serious bodily injury and three misdemeanor charges, including public intoxication.
In an exclusive interview with the Post published on Oct. 6, Mangold was admittedly shocked upon hearing the charges against his former quarterback, with whom he played alongside through the 2012 season.
“I’ve known Mark since 2009, that’s 16 years, and he doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body,” Mangold told the Post. “For something of this to happen, something obviously wasn’t right that night, and I hope they get to the bottom of it.”
“It’s completely out of character,” Mangold added. “The Mark I know wouldn’t do this. They obviously have video footage of him doing it, but it seems so out of character.”
An Indianapolis judge confirmed Dec. 11 as the trial date for Sanchez.
The ex-Jets quarterback was excused from Wednesday’s pretrial conference, as he continues to recover from the serious wounds he sustained during the altercation.
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