The Chicago Bears signed quarterback Mark Sanchez to a one-year
contract on Friday.
Sanchez is expected to back up starter Mike Glennon for the Bears,
who are coming off a 3-13 season and finished last in the NFC North.
The 30-year-old Sanchez, the New York Jets' 2009 first-round pick
(fifth overall) out of USC, visited with the Bears on Thursday and
now joins his fifth NFL team.
Glennon, who was the backup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and hasn't
started a game in over two years, was signed by the Bears earlier
this month to a three-year deal worth $43.5 million after the team
cut quarterback Jay Cutler.
Sanchez is the third quarterback on the Bears roster, joining
Glennon and Connor Shaw, who missed the entire 2016 regular season
after suffering a broken leg suffered in the team's fourth
preseason game.
Sanchez played in two games last season with the Dallas Cowboys,
throwing for 93 yards and two interceptions on 10 of 18 attempts as
a backup to rookie sensation Dak Prescott.
After starting 62 of 64 games in his first four seasons with the
Jets, Sanchez spent the 2013 season on injured reserve due to a
shoulder injury suffered in the preseason. He then signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles in 2014 and started the final eight games after
Nick Foles was injured, completing 64.1 percent of his passes for
2,418 yards with 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and an 88.4 rating.
Sanchez played sparingly with the Eagles in 2015 and then was
traded to the Denver Broncos last March. He was cut by Denver on
Sept. 3 and signed with the Cowboys the same day.
Sanchez has appeared in 77 NFL games with 72 starts over eight
seasons with the Jets (2009-13), Eagles (2014-15) and Cowboys
(2016). He has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 15,219
yards with 86 touchdowns, 86 interceptions and a 73.9 passer
rating. He has a 37-35 career record as a starter.
