Deion Sanders just got paid — big time.
Colorado officially announced a new five-year, $54 million contract for Coach Prime on Friday, March 28, nearly doubling his salary from the original $29.5 million deal he signed after leaving Jackson State in 2023.
Deion Sanders’ Deal Raises Questions About Using NFL as Leverage
The updated extension will keep Sanders in Boulder, Colo., through the 2029 season. According to BuffZone’s Brian Howell on X, Sanders is set to earn $10 million in 2025 and 2026, $11 million in 2027 and 2028, and $12 million in the final year of the deal.
It’s a massive commitment from Colorado — but not a surprising one.
BREAKING: Colorado’s board of regents have approved a new 5-yr, $54 million contract for head coach Deion Sanders that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country. Yearly base salary breakdown:
2025: $10M
2026: $10M
2027: $11M
2028: $11M
2029: $12M#cubuffs— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) March 28, 2025
Sanders helped turn a program that was 1-11 in 2022 into a 9-4 bowl team in just two years, elevating the school’s national profile in the process. The Buffs reached the Alamo Bowl last season and saw a 20% spike in university applications, thanks to the buzz surrounding the football team.
Now, the next chapter begins without some of Sanders’ biggest stars.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way phenom and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter — both of whom followed Deion from Jackson State — are off to the NFL and projected to be early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That leaves Sanders with some major holes to fill and a fresh opportunity to build the next version of his roster. But the timing of this lucrative deal has raised questions about Sanders potentially using the Dallas Cowboys as leverage?
Earlier this offseason, reports surfaced that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys had been in contact with Sanders as a potential candidate to replace Mike McCarthy. While an official interview never happened, the rumors were loud enough to generate real attention and even had some wondering whether Prime was NFL-bound.
That narrative didn’t come from nowhere. The strategic use of NFL interest to bolster contract negotiations is not uncommon in collegiate athletics. Coaches often find themselves at the center of such speculation, which can be advantageous during extension discussions.
As NFL Network reporter Jane Slater reported, “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.”
There was speculation within league circles that Sanders may have been leveraging the NFL chatter to secure a bigger contract and boost Colorado’s Name, Image, and Likeness funding. If that was the strategy, it worked.
Whether the NFL rumors played a role or not, Colorado made a clear statement with this extension: they’re fully invested in Sanders as the face of their program. With increased expectations and a reshaped roster ahead, the spotlight on Coach Prime isn’t going anywhere — and neither is he.