Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders recently suggested he’d be open to taking a job with the same title in the NFL.
“You know what? The only way I would consider it is to coach my sons,” Sanders said during an appearance on the Wednesday, Jan. 8, broadcast of “Good Morning America.”
His sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, are set to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Deion has received high praise for turning Colorado into a winner. The Buffaloes went 9-4 in 2024, two seasons after he inherited a program that went 1-11 in 2022. Could he be on his way up?
Deion Sanders Has an Interest in Leaving for the NFL
Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sanders has expressed interest in becoming the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has his eyes on the Raiders’ coaching job, according to a person with knowledge of the situation,” Bonsignore wrote. “‘He has a very strong interest in the job,’ the person said. The person indicated that NFL-connected associates of Sanders reached out to the Raiders to express Sanders’ interest in the opening.”
NFL-connected associates of Colorado coach Deion Sanders have reached out to the Raiders to express his interest in the team’s coaching job, according to a source. https://t.co/jyR4ExglF3
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) January 11, 2025
The Raiders enter the offseason holding the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft order. With Shedeur Sanders and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward expected by many analysts to be the top signal callers in the draft, the Colorado QB isn’t likely to be on the board at six.
Tom Brady Could Be Key in Landing Sanders
However, new minority owner Tom Brady could have the Raiders be aggressive in the draft this year after firing head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. Brady could push for Las Vegas to make the move Pierce reportedly wanted for the 2024 draft, but Telesco wouldn’t give in to trading up to take a quarterback.
And Brady has a strong relationship with Sanders.
When Sanders was a four-star quarterback at Trinity Christian School, the two worked out together. In 2022, when Sanders was at Jackson State, Brady signed him to an NIL deal with his BRADY Brand — the first athlete Brady ever signed to an NIL or endorsement deal.
After Colorado’s upset win over TCU in 2023, Brady texted him, “Don’t be satisfied.” Sanders was spotted in Las Vegas in December, which turned some heads.
The Las Vegas Raiders Have Been Linked to Sanders
Reports also surfaced in December that the Raiders had an interest in hiring Coach Prime to replace Pierce, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting that Brady could advocate for Las Vegas to hire an NFL legend to coach the team:
“The belief among many in the league is that Tom Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, will have some level of influence over major decisions, and team owner Mark Davis will covet his knowledge and insight,” Fowler wrote. “If Brady is looking for a fellow GOAT, Sanders has a compelling case as the best cornerback in NFL history.”
The Raiders fired Pierce on Tuesday, taking the first step in hiring a top-name head coach in Las Vegas.
When Sanders asked about leaving for the NFL this fall, he repeatedly stated that he was happy with his job in Boulder, Colo. However, many in league circles didn’t think Colorado would be able to keep him for long after Shilo and Shedeur entered the NFL Draft.
“It’s going to be hard for Colorado to hang onto him,” a college coaching agent told ESPN. “Everyone has taken notice, and rightfully so, of what he’s doing.”
Maybe Brady and the Raiders can come up with a plan that could snatch the 57-year-old coach to Sin City. Would that plan necessarily involve Shedeur?