Mark Sanchez pays tribute to Jets’ Nick Mangold after tragic death

The NFL was hit with heartbreaking news Sunday morning when the death of former Jets All-Pro center Nick Mangold was announced. The mighty Mangold died of a rare genetic kidney disease first diagnosed nearly 20 years ago. He sought a kidney transplant, but his medical team was unable to find a donor.
We lost a good man today. I know @nickmangold will be a Hall of Famer, but there is more to his story than his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was more than a teammate. He was my older brother who introduced me to the NFL. He showed me the ropes. He was my friend and confidant… pic.twitter.com/45FlFnTTzG
— Mark Sanchez (@Mark_Sanchez) October 26, 2025
Mangold, 41, was one of the best centers in the History of jets and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times in his 11-year career. He was also a first-team All-Pro on three occasions.
His former teammates and coaches were saddened by his death, with several paying tribute after learning of the sad outcome. Former Jets quarterback and NFL analyst Mark Sanchez remains undercover after his arrest earlier this month for an alleged altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver at an Indianapolis hotel loading dock. He broke his silence to speak from his heart about Mangold.
“Today we lost a good man” Sanchez wrote about X. “I know Nick Mangold will be in the hall of fame, but there’s more to his story than his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was more than a teammate. He was my older brother who got me into the NFL. He showed me the ropes. He was my friend and confidant. He was a role model and a great father to his wife. We’ll miss his tough wife and our kids. amigo, I love you big guy.
Former coach Ryan said he breaks down as he talks about Mangold
Former Jets head coach Rick Ryan is currently an analyst for ESPN and is regularly seen on the network’s pregame broadcasts. He coached Mangold from 2009 to 2014 and had fond memories of his former player when discussing him before Week 8 games.
Rex Ryan shares the story of his last game as coach of the Jets when Nick Mangold was injured.
“I play this game.”-Nick Mangold
Rest in peace 74
pic.twitter.com/Mv1Ef2Kzzb— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 26, 2025
Ryan struggled to keep his composure, then finally broke down in tears as he recalled his last year coaching the Jets. “I was at the end and it was clear that I was going to be fired” Ryan said. “Nick was hurt, but he came up to me and said he was going to play. He said, ‘I’m playing this game.’ “
2025-10-27 01:16:00







