Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has become the center of attention as he takes his team to a stellar 8-2 overall record, thus keeping Colorado’s playoff hopes alive.
Now, critics are in full swing, speculating about Sanders’ slightest chances of landing an NFL job, just like Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh did after winning the national championship with the Michigan Wolverines last season.
Although Coach Prime hasn’t publicly thought about leaving Boulder, Colo., anytime soon, NFL analyst Adam Schefter thinks otherwise.
Deion Sanders’ Jump to the NFL Is Still on the Table
On ESPN’s show “Get Up” on Thursday, Schefter compared Sanders’ situation with Harbaugh and expressed how he was approached by several NFL teams following his 14-1 season with the Wolverines. He stated:
“The NFL is an entertainment business, OK? And last year there were, I believe, eight or nine teams that changed head coaches, and I think there were two of them that actively pursued Jim Harbaugh. Now, whether or not you look at this and agree with it, Jim Harbaugh knows football, and he is a big draw.”
Both Sanders and Harbaugh have had successful careers as NFL players and are now enjoying successful coaching careers. Both possess deep knowledge of the game, and struggling NFL teams are always on the lookout for such coaches. Schefter believes that, while Sanders wishes to stay in Colorado, there might be an NFL team owner who could convince him to coach their team.
“Deion Sanders knows football and is a big draw, and while he has his kickstand in Colorado, there may be an owner out there thinking … ‘I want to bring a big name with football knowledge who would be an asset to the guys in my locker room, and I’m going to make it really hard for Deion Sanders to say no.'”
There was a similar hype around Harbaugh last year, as he was approached by NFL teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. He was reportedly offered a 10-year, $125 million contract from the Washington Huskies that would have made him the highest-paid coach in college football.
However, he still decided to enter the NFL and coach the Chargers. He currently has a five-year deal with the Chargers, earning an average annual salary of $16 million, placing him among the highest-paid coaches in the NFL.
Will Sanders follow the same path and raise his coaching portfolio with a highly paid NFL job, or is he truly committed to staying away from the pro league and continuing to nurture talent in college football?
Jerry Jones on Sanders’ NFL Coaching Prospects
However, does Dallas owner Jerry Jones feel Sanders is the right fit for his team? Jones, while making his appearance on “105.3 The Fan” on Thursday, expressed that Sanders is best suited for college football. He stated,
“One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he almost has no peer as far as being a recruiter. Kids want to come play for him. And he has a way of selling that. That is one skill, that recruiting skill, that is not a huge prerequisite for NFL coaches. One of his greatest values is in that area of putting the team together and getting great talent to come play for him there at Colorado.”
READ MORE: Jones Finally Breaks Silence on Potential Deion Sanders-to-Cowboys Transition
Jones thinks highly of Coach Prime, who once played for the Cowboys in the ’90s and helped the team win back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1994 and 1995. While Jerry would love to have him by his side, he believes the Buffaloes’ head coach is doing a fabulous job coaching new talent and should remain in Colorado.
Sanders has turned things around for the Buffs, who went 4-8 last season and have now doubled their wins with two more games left in their schedule. Moreover, he loves where he is and has already built a strong connection with Colorado fans in his two seasons with the team. It will be interesting to see what Coach Prime decides once the 2024 season ends.