Timing of Reported Deion Sanders Colorado Extension, Cowboys Talks Sparks Intrigue

Even if a job with the Cowboys doesn't materialize, Sanders could benefit from negotiation leverage with Colorado.
Sanders has coached the Buffaloes the last two seasons
Sanders has coached the Buffaloes the last two seasons / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

In such a short period of time, Deion Sanders coaching the Dallas Cowboys has gone from a mere fantasy to a truly legitimate proposition. Upon parting ways with Mike McCarthy at the conclusion of his contract, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones reached out to Deion Sanders, according to reports on Monday.

Sanders has discussed the report with insiders.

So far, it's unclear how likely the talks are to lead to a formal interview or to pull Sanders away from his current role as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.

NFL Network reporter Jane Slater made a good point about some of the dynamics, connecting the upside Sanders has in his current role to a possible NFL job.

"He signed a five year deal, he's two years into it. There's been some talk that there's potentially been an extension on the table in front of the regents. So is Deion leaving this leverage to get paid a little bit more and stay in Colorado?"

It certainly doesn't sound like Slater is reporting that that's what Sanders is doing—after all, so far it sounds like the discussions between Jones and Sanders have been expository in nature—but it's an interesting connecting of the dots.

Just days ago, Joel Klatt reported a, "very, very, very good offer in front of him," that Sanders has gotten from Colorado, adding, "I don't know why it hasn't been signed."

Well, maybe an offer threatening to lure Sanders away from Colorado altogether gives him a bit more ammunition to get an even stronger extension.

In year two with the Buffaloes, Sanders led the team to an Alamo Bowl loss off a 9-4 record.


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Josh Wilson
JOSH WILSON

Josh Wilson is the news director of the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in 2024, he worked for FanSided in a variety of roles, most recently as senior managing editor of the brand’s flagship site. He has also served as a general manager of Sportscasting, the sports arm of a start-up sports media company, where he oversaw the site’s editorial and business strategy. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in accountancy from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He loves a good nonfiction book and enjoys learning and practicing Polish. Wilson lives in Chicago but was raised in upstate New York. He spent most of his life in the Northeast and briefly lived in Poland, where he ate an unhealthy amount of pastries for six months.