Deion Sanders Addresses Status at Colorado As Cowboys Rumors Heat Up

One of Coach Prime's former Dallas teammates believes he could make the jump to the NFL to lead the franchise.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders calls in a play in the first quarter against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders' Colorado football program is firmly in the mix for the College Football Playoff, with the Buffaloes ranked No. 16 in Tuesday night's Playoff rankings release. The legendary former cornerback has engineered an impressive turnaround in Boulder, elevating a team that went 4-8 in 2023 and just 1-11 the year before his arrival in 2022.

The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, are in a tailspin. Sanders' former NFL team is just 3-7 on the season and has lost five consecutive games, three of which came by four or more scores.

Sanders has been at the center of NFL rumors since he embarked on his coaching career. While Jerry Jones has not made any official decisions about Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy's future, it stands to reason that his seat will be very hot without a dramatic turnaround.

This is not Sanders' first go-around with NFL coaching rumors, and he's previously denied any interest in coaching in the pros. He was asked about the chatter around both NFL and other college jobs during his Tuesday press conference ahead of Colorado's game with Kansas, and while he didn't say that he'd never make the jump to the league, he insists that he's happy in Boulder.

"You're going to talk like that with my AD in here? That's so disrespectful," Sanders joked when asked about the rumors. "I'm happy where I am, man. I'm good. I got a kickstand down. ... I'm resting. I'm good. I'm happy. I'm excited. I'm enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, I truly do."

Sanders' repeated insistence that he wants to stay at Colorado hasn't stopped those connected with him from weighing in. Sanders' former Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin told Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd Tuesday that he believes Coach Prime would accept the job in Dallas if the team drafted his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, next April. Of course, the draft takes place long after the NFL's traditional timeframe for coaching changes, and the Cowboys have a franchise quarterback in the first year of a four-year, $240 million contract in Dak Prescott.

Sanders' stock as a coach may never be higher than it is right now as Colorado contends for a Big 12 title and Playoff berth. With Shedeur and two-way superstar Travis Hunter set to enter the NFL draft following the season, the rampant speculation around Sanders' coaching future comes as no surprise.

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