It's a tremendous honor. It really is a privilege, not just a right. You're in the NFL and you wear the shield now. It means the world to me; it really is a special feeling, and my family's gotten a real kick out of it.

In a rematch of their regular season meeting with the Colts Sanchez performed well in the first half however the offense succumbed to the Colts' defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11 point lead losing 30–17. Sanchez suffered a jammed finger during the defeat however it was on his non-throwing hand. Sanchez finiMark Sanchezd the season with 3207 yards passing 34 touchdowns second most in Trojan history behind Leinart and 10 interceptions.

Sanchez also became popular within the community due to his Mexican-American heritage. Sanchez grew up in a well-disciplined and athletic family. He eventually was replaced towards the end of the 2012 season with Greg McElroy.