The Butt Fumble: The Most Embarrassing Play in NFL History
#ButtFumble refers to Mark Sanchez’s infamous fumble on Thanksgiving Night 2012, when he ran into his own offensive lineman’s backside and fumbled the ball, which was returned for a touchdown — universally considered the most embarrassing play in NFL history.
The Play
November 22, 2012 - New York Jets vs. New England Patriots (Thanksgiving Night Football)
- 2nd quarter, 3:00 remaining
- Jets losing 14-0 (would eventually lose 49-19)
- Mark Sanchez took the snap, ran up the middle, crashed into guard Brandon Moore’s butt, fumbled
- Patriots’ Steve Gregory recovered and returned it for a touchdown
Why It’s So Embarrassing
- Ran into his own lineman — not a defender, his own teammate
- Thanksgiving Night Football — 20+ million viewers watched live
- Jets vs. Patriots rivalry — humiliation against their biggest rival
- Already losing badly — made a blowout even worse
- Sanchez’s confused look after the play became a GIF meme
Social Media Explosion
- #ButtFumble trended #1 globally on Twitter within minutes
- 100M+ impressions that night
- Replayed endlessly — ESPN, NFL Network, late-night shows
- GIFs, memes, parodies flooded the internet for years
NFL Films Recognition
NFL Films named it:
- #1 “Not Top 10” Play of All Time
- Worst Play of the 2010s Decade
- Shown on ESPN’s “Not Top 10” segment over 500 times
Mark Sanchez’s Career
The Butt Fumble defined Mark Sanchez’s career:
- 2009-2010: Two AFC Championship games (lost both)
- 2012 Butt Fumble — career never recovered
- Benched for rookie Geno Smith shortly after
- Released by Jets 2013, bounced around NFL (Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins)
- Retired 2018, now ESPN analyst (self-deprecating about Butt Fumble)
The Lasting Legacy
Cultural shorthand for catastrophic failure:
- Business blunders — “This is our company’s Butt Fumble”
- Political gaffes — “That debate was a Butt Fumble”
- Everyday mistakes — “I just Butt Fumbled that presentation”
Sanchez Embraces It
Mark Sanchez owned the meme:
- Jokes about it on ESPN broadcasts
- Retweeted Butt Fumble memes on anniversaries
- “At least I’m famous for something” — self-aware humor
The 10-Year Anniversary (2022)
On November 22, 2022, the 10-year Butt Fumble anniversary, Twitter exploded again with nostalgic memes. Sanchez tweeted a joke about it, and NFL Films re-aired the play in HD.
Related Hashtags
- #Jets (franchise defined by dysfunction)
- #Thanksgiving (annual turkey/football tradition)
- #NotTop10 (ESPN segment)