Following Mike McCarthy’s departure from Dallas, Jerry Jones is exploring potential head coaching candidates. Deion Sanders, currently leading the Colorado Buffaloes toward College Football Playoff contention, has emerged as a prominent figure in these discussions.
Deion Sanders Reportedly Using Jerry Jones, Cowboys’ Interest as Leverage
NFL Network analyst Jane Slatter tweeted some inside information that she gathered about the Cowboys’ head coaching search. According to her sources, Sanders is using Jerry Jones’ interest in bringing him into the fold to negotiate more investments toward his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) funds and to help pay his staff:
“Two people with knowledge of the situation tell me Sanders approached Colorado AD Rick George Tuesday [Jan. 14] about additional money for NIL and his staff. He was met with resistance.”
“Deion Sanders didn’t respond when reached multiple times for comment.”
Since the landmark NIL ruling took effect in 2021, the landscape of college football has been drastically altered. Players are transferring from program to program at an exponentially faster clip, cashing their leverage to improve their odds of going to blue-blood programs and catching NFL scouts’ attention.
One thing to watch following Jerry Jones and his initial discussions with Deion Sanders. Two people with knowledge of the situation tell me Sanders approached Colorado AD Rick George Tuesday about additional money for NIL and his staff. He was met with resistance. The University…
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 16, 2025
Sanders was a beneficiary of it initially, bringing a huge chunk of his recruits from Jackson State to the Colorado Buffaloes. However, maintaining a top CFB program requires long-term commitment and a financial scale that the Buffaloes may be unable to match.
The Buffaloes already operate at a significant financial disadvantage, even within the Big 12 conference. Furthermore, the Dallas head coaching role does not open up often.
Joining the Cowboys would be an alluring prospect even for Prime Time and his glamorous persona. Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder noted that Sanders would “almost certainly accept” an offer from Jones to become the next head coach.
While publicly Sanders has reiterated a long-term commitment to the Buffaloes, jockeying with the top programs in the nation for NIL funding is a much more strenuous task, as is being on the recruiting circuit every single offseason.
A cushy NFL head coaching job with the most iconic franchise, one that he played with, should be a legitimate consideration if Sanders is thinking pragmatically. Jerry Jones is among the most passionate owners in the league, and Sanders still has it in him to inspire NFL veterans.