Watch: Mark Sanchez Hits Back at Reporter Who Asked Him About the 'Butt Fumble'

By Ross Kelly December 5, 2018 at 3:52pm

The infamous “Butt Fumble” from 2012 isn’t just a lowlight of quarterback Mark Sanchez’s career; it’s a part of NFL lore.

The play has its own Wikipedia entry that’s nearly 2,500 words. No matter what Sanchez has done since then, and no matter what he’ll do in the future, his embarrassing moment with the Jets will always be the first thing many people think about when they hear Sanchez’s name.

Now the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins following broken legs to both Alex Smith and Colt McCoy, Sanchez gets the podium treatment from the media this week.

On Wednesday, Sanchez was conducting his media session when a reporter alluded to the Butt Fumble — and the quarterback decided to have some fun with his response.

Mark Sanchez had some fun with a reporter who asked him about the Buttfumble ? pic.twitter.com/ToEkGCM1CO

— SNY (@SNYtv) December 5, 2018

“There’s also a certain fumble in a nationally televised game,” the reporter said as he listed things associated with Sanchez.

“I’m not following,” Sanchez responded before breaking into a smile. He was then asked if it bothers him that the play is still being brought up six years later.

“What are you going to do? I mean, it was a crappy play in a game where we were getting our butts kicked,” Sanchez said of the 2012 game, which the Jets lost to the Patriots 49-19. “Some low-hanging fruit, so that was an easy reach for you. I’m just kidding! C’mon, you can give it to me, I can give it right back. C’mon now. Thick skin in here!”

Do you like the way Sanchez handled that question?

“No, listen, it’s — who cares? It’s one play and you just move on. I prefer to remember the good stuff. You seem like a doomsdayer,” he said, smiling again.

Sanchez has had some good moments in his career if you can look past that one play.

He has the sixth-most postseason road victories by a quarterback since 1970 and was the first rookie quarterback to win his first three starts since 1969.

Sanchez has bounced around since leaving the Jets in 2013 and is on his fifth NFL team in four seasons. He was also suspended for four games earlier this year after failing a PED test.

The Butt Fumble will always live with him, but Sanchez may have gotten some level of redemption during this past week’s “Monday Night Football” against the Eagles.

During the game it was pointed out on social media that Sanchez fumbled the ball during a play, and then recovered it with his most famous body part: