There's a legitimate chance that Colorado head coach and former Dallas Cowboys star Deion Sanders could soon coach the franchise with which he won his second Super Bowl.
On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Cowboys and Sanders had "mutual interest" in Dallas' head coaching vacancy. Of course, Sanders has never coached at the NFL level, and he has repeatedly vocalized his commitment to the University of Colorado.
"I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community," Sanders said on Monday night, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It would be easy to dismiss Sanders' candidacy as a play by Cowboys franchise owner Jerry Jones to generate attention for a team that hasn't appeared in a conference title game since the 1995 season. It would seem, however, that there is some substance behind the story.
ESPN's Ed Werder reported on Thursday that Sanders would "almost certainly" accept the Dallas job if offered it. If it happens, there will be ripple effects.
Naturally, those effects will be felt in Boulder and the college football world. Here, though, we'll examine what Sanders-to-Dallas could mean for the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. McCarthy is out in Dallas, and the New England Patriots have already hired Mike Vrabel. That leaves six franchises, including the Cowboys, active in the head coaching search.
For the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, having Sanders land in Dallas would be a good thing.The Cowboys have already set up interviews with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier. They could soon turn their attention to popular candidates like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Hiring Sanders would leave all of those candidates on the board for other teams, presumably, without costing them a candidate that had drawn legitimate interest. It would seem that if Sanders wants to make the NFL jump this offseason, Dallas will be his only option.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sanders has a "very strong interest" in the Raiders. According to The Athletic's Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed, however, the Raiders have "zero interest" in Sanders.
While some other vacancies may be filled before Dallas reaches its decision, franchises still seeking a coach will feel the most immediate effects if the Cowboys hire Sanders. It'll guarantee that one fewer franchise is vying for the top remaining candidates—the ones other teams view as legitimate options. If Sanders takes the Cowboys job, it will immediately spark speculation about his sons—Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Colorado defensive back Shilo Sanders. This is because of previous comments Deion has made regarding their future and any potential interest of his in an NFL coaching opportunity.
"The only way I would consider it is to coach my sons," Sanders told GMA3: What You Need to Know (h/t John Breech of CBS Sports).
While Shilo Sanders isn't considered a top NFL prospect, Shedeur is expected to be one of the first players off the board in April. He's the 16th-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's draft board and the second-ranked quarterback behind Miami's Cam Ward.
The Cowboys currently own the 12th overall pick in the draft and would likely have to trade up to secure Shedeur as their quarterback of the future. They also have Dak Prescott under contract through 2028.
On Thursday's episode of Get Up, Schefter reported that Deion could be open to coaching the Cowboys without Shedeur in the fold and would "be thrilled to coach Dak Prescott."Nothing would stop the speculation, of course, especially considering the fact that Deion coached Shedeur both in high school and college. Plus, the idea of pursuing the incoming rookie quarterback isn't as outlandish as it might sound.
Prescott just signed his extension in September. Yet trading him after the 2025 season, while not financially ideal, would be possible. Dallas would have to eat a $62 million dead-cap hit but could save $5.7 million in 2026 cap space by moving Prescott at the start of the offseason. It could save $39.7 million by moving him after June 1.
In 2027, Prescott's dead-cap hit would drop to $34 million, and the Cowboys could save $27.7 million by trading him.
While the dead money and the cost to trade up for Shedeur would be potentially problematic, drafting him and allowing him to sit for a year or two behind Prescott would be feasAnd if the Cowboys hire Deion, we can expect that possibility to be a major talking point between now and the draft.
Dak Prescott's Future Will Constantly Be Questioned
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Should Sanders take the Dallas job, Prescott's future will be questioned from the moment the hiring is announced to the end of the quarterback's Cowboys tenure. In fact, those questions have already arisen. A cursory internet search will unveil all sorts of hypothetical Prescott trades that could occur this offseason to open the door for Dallas to draft Shedeur.
Trading Prescott in 2025 would be highly unlikely. It would likely require a massive contract change—either a pre-trade restructure or an agreement by another team to pay some or all of the dead money on Prescott's deal—because of the $104.1 million dead-cap hit. And it will only occur if Prescott agreed to be traded, since his extension included a no-trade clause.
Even if Prescott is the 2025 starter and Shedeur never enters the equation, however, questions about Prescott's future in Dallas will remain. Most incoming coaches want "their quarterback," and while Sanders may be thrilled to coach Prescott initially, a successful partnership is not guaranteed.
Sanders has been successful at the college level because of his ability to connect with and motivate young players. Prescott, who will turn 32 in April, is an aging signal-caller with a growing and concerning injury history.
"With Prescott's $231 million guaranteed deal, the owner can think only in terms of how to fix this quarterback," Tim Callashaw of the Dallas Morning News wrote on Monday.
If Sanders isn't the right coach to "fix" Prescott, he'll undoubtedly want to move in a different direction. That could lead to Dallas and Prescott looking to part ways and the quarterback becoming available via trade to a team with a coach who believes in him.
At the very least, the trade chatter will continue until Prescott is out or until he and Sanders win something of note in the postseason. That chatter will be far more prevalent if Sanders is the coach than, say, Moore, who spent four years as Prescott's offensive coordinator in Dallas.
Sanders Will Become Dallas' Biggest Star, Which Could Allow Cowboys to Rebuild
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Sanders is one of the largest personalities in the sport, even at Colorado. If he becomes the head coach of "America's Team," he'll instantly become the biggest star coach in the NFL. He'll also quickly replace Jones as the face of the Cowboys.
Jones, who also serves as Dallas' general manager, is at the forefront of everything the Cowboys do. Between regular radio appearances, headline-grabbing press conferences and plenty of air time during games, Jones is the face of the franchise—it isn't Prescott, CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons.
The 82-year-old Jones, who purchased the Cowboys in 1989, wants it that way. However, the dynamic will have to change if Jones hires Sanders. There's virtually no scenario in which the high-profile coach will lead the rhythm section while allowing Jones to remain the frontman.
It's also highly unlikely that Sanders will accept the job if he isn't also allowed to construct the team he wants. He runs the show in Colorado and isn't going to give that up—or agree to an $8 million buyout—just to run "Jerry's team."
Jones has made it clear that he won't step down as general manager. He might, however, be willing to give Sanders more team control than he ever afforded McCarthy, Jason Garrett or Wade Phillips. If that's the case, we may see the Cowboys do something they haven't done in years: rebuild.
For most of this century, it has seemed that Jones has been more interested in keeping the Cowboys relevant than in building a true championship contender.
"I like what the team has done to hang around the rim," Jones told former Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gelken last January.
In the past, this has led to big contracts for star players like Prescott, Lamb, Tyron Smith and Ezekiel Elliott, but no real reset with the potential to build a young, long-term contender. While Dallas does have some young stars, it feels like an aging afterthought compared to teams like Philadelphia, Detroit, the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Commanders.
Jerry's way hasn't worked. He'll be trying something different if he hires Sanders, and maybe, he'll be willing to try something different in building the team too.
Top Cowboys Players Could Become Available on Trade Market, Will Be Targeted
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Though the Cowboys traded wide receiver Amari Cooper in 2022, they've largely refrained from dealing their biggest stars. That could change if Sanders is hired for a couple of reasons.
For one, there's a very real possibility that Sanders will insist that the Cowboys bring in players he wants. That could include his sons, as well as Colorado cornerback and receiver Travis Hunter.
Hunter is projected to be one of the first non-quarterbacks off the board in April, if not the first. Moving up for Shedeur Sanders or Hunter could cost Dallas draft capital and players.
And if Jones is willing to allow Sanders to orchestrate a rebuild, that could involve making pricey veterans like Prescott, Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs available for trade. It could also involve parting with extension-eligible stars like pass-rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland.
Hanging onto players like Parsons and Bland will already be difficult, as Dallas is projected to have just $5 million in 2025 cap space. There are paths to creating more cap space—the contracts of Prescott and Lamb are both ripe for restructures. However, they would involve the Cowboys doing what they've done in recent years and paying heavily for star power without building a strong supporting cast.
While coaching candidates like Moore, Frazier and Jason Witten—whom Jones had considered as an "heir apparent" to McCarthy, according to NFL Network's Jane Slater—might be fine with the status quo. Sanders, who had the freedom to construct Colorado's roster as he saw fit, probably wouldn't be.
There's also a non-zero chance that players like Prescott and Parsons don't want to be part of whatever comes next for the Cowboys after feeling like they were on the right track with McCarthy.
"I'm obviously very sad because of the relationships we had with Coach McCarthy and everything he's done for our program," Parsons said on The Edge podcast (beginning at the 20-second mark).
While the Cowboys may not actively engage in a bargain sale this offseason, other teams will undoubtedly call to see if top players like Parsons can be had. That's simply how things go when a franchise hits the reset button, and hiring Sanders would represent the biggest Cowboys reset in recent memory.