Dan Patrick believes one NFL team would overhaul for the "Prime Effect"

The national host see value with Deion Sanders jumping to the league

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The recent interview between former NFL lineman Ross Tucker and longtime host Dan Patrick has sparked an unusual discussion around Shedeur Sanders and his NFL potential, specifically involving a move to the New York Jets. As the conversation drifted from discussing NFL games to projecting Shedeur’s career trajectory, Tucker introduced a narrative that quickly spiraled from reasonable to highly speculative. Despite some analytical merits, the discussion ultimately underscored how some can twist facts to fit compelling storylines, even at the cost of disregarding reality.

Tucker initially addressed the Jets’ current struggles and the likelihood of a total team overhaul, suggesting that even the Aaron Rodgers experiment could soon be over. Patrick followed up by fueled the discussion by pointing out that if the draft were today, the Jets would likely pick high, possibly fourth overall.

This opened the door to an unlikely scenario of the Jets selecting Shedeur Sanders and, as Tucker suggested, bringing in Deion Sanders to revitalize the organization, with Deion allegedly wielding influence over the team’s coaching and managerial decisions. This narrative hinged on the idea that Coach Prime might leverage his position as Shedeur’s father to dictate team conditions—hypothetically even declining teams that don’t align with his standards for Shedeur’s development.

However, this storyline sharply contrasts with the statements Deion has publicly made. He previously shared his hesitations about Shedeur joining certain NFL teams, specifically ones he views as unstable, lacking development support, or positioned in cold climates. During an offseason interview on the Million Dollarz Worth of Game podcast, Prime explicitly indicated he’d prefer to see Shedeur drafted by franchises with favorable conditions, highlighting factors like team stability, quarterback support, and warm-weather environments. Given these considerations, it’s hard to imagine the Jets, a team with a historically turbulent track record, aligning with Deion’s criteria for his son’s NFL future.

Patrick’s notion of Deion joining the Jets as a coach also seemed far-fetched. Despite his enormous influence at Colorado, Coach Prime has repeatedly expressed disinterest in coaching at the professional level, citing a preference for developing college athletes who are still hungry to make their mark. Coaching in the NFL, where established millionaires may not respond as well to Deion’s disciplinary style, seems antithetical to his coaching philosophy. Tucker’s suggestion that Deion could sway the Jets into giving him hiring power was similarly unrealistic, underscoring a fundamental disconnect between the narrative being pushed and the reality Deion has consistently shared.

Shedeur Sanders has fought to be Heisman worthy in a volatile race

The speculative nature of these narratives highlights a broader issue within sports media, which is the tendency to elevate college stories into pro narratives, often at the cost of accuracy. National analysts like Patrick and Stephen A. Smith, who cover pro sports more heavily, may attempt to fold figures like Deion Sanders into their professional-oriented coverage, even when the fit isn’t quite logical. This trend has led to improbable scenarios, such as Smith pitching Deion for NFL coaching jobs without genuine supporting evidence or regard for Deion’s stated goals.

In reality, if Shedeur enters the NFL, the teams most aligned with Deion’s criteria would likely include warmer-climate or dome-based franchises like the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, or even the Las Vegas Raiders. Each of these franchises offers conditions and reputational factors that align more closely with Deion’s standards than the Jets.

For now, however, the Sanders family’s NFL aspirations remain a mystery, and until they make intentions known, analysts would do well to focus on the real, grounded accomplishments that Shedeur and Deion are achieving in college football rather than spinning tales better suited for the rumor mill.