The former New York Jets quarterback had a fishy way of referring to Jalen Hurts
Long removed from the New York Jets‘ depth chart, Mark Sanchez is still going viral for MetLife Stadium scrambles.
Sanchez was on the mic for Fox Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s historic Jets victory alongside play-by-play man Kevin Kugler. Blessed with a rare opportunity to call a game featuring his best and most-renowned and infamous NFL employers, Sanchez didn’t get much of an opportunity to offer his offensive expertise in one of the more memorable defensive struggles in Jets history.
That changed, however, when Jalen Hurts avoided a sack during third quarter action. With Philadelphia nursing a 14-9 lead deep in their own territory, Hurts avoided heavy pressure to throw the ball away. Though the incomplete pass led to a punt, Sanchez found Hurts’ mobility amusing, creating a new kind of slippery slope to find the right words to describe it.
A salmon covered in Vaseline… you got it, Mark Sanchez pic.twitter.com/2bdljY1Cfu
— The Comeback NFL (@TheComebackNFL) October 15, 2023
“They can’t get this guy to the turf. Jalen Hurts, what is he?” an enthusiastic Sanchez declared. “Like a salmon covered in Vaseline, bro, this guy’s just too slippery! He refuses to go down! He’s got this incredible contact balance, like, as soon as he gets hit, he just drops his ankle, and (the Jets’ defense) has a chance there, too. Jalen Hurts is making plays. This is just some backyard football, if you’re asking me.”
Sanchez’s fishy simile offered a mix of humored and bewildered responses. Many leaned toward the former, embracing the absurdity of the comment while acknowledging that Hurts’ mobile game does make for some slippery situations.
That line was hilarious and a helluva on-the-fly ad lib.@Mark_Sanchez is a natural as an informative analyst and bonus: he be funny🤣 pic.twitter.com/lFXoJDrqld
— Scott Frank (@argcomms) October 16, 2023
So many comps for Hurts & Mark Sanchez chose 'a salmon covered in vaseline'??? pic.twitter.com/IMw2S8Nqj8
— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) October 15, 2023
Sanchez has been working with Fox Sports since 2021, three years after his final NFL snap. Sunday marked the first time he called a Jets game. The upcoming schedule hints that it could be the last for a while.
The only Fox game remaining on the Jets’ schedule is their December 3 home matchup against Atlanta, and that game could take on a larger importance if Gang Green keeps its winning streak rolling. Sunday’s win over the previously undefeated Eagles thrust the Jets back into the premature AFC playoff picture. It also gave them a shot at their first three-game winning streak since they won four in a row last October.
Alas, New Yorkers will have to be patient for the next step of that journey. The Jets have a bye week next weekend before returning to action for a MetLife Stadium civil war on October 29 against the New York Giants.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
