Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has pushed back against suggestions he plans to leave college football for the NFL. Last offseason, before the Dallas Cowboys elevated offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, reports said Sanders had spoken with owner Jerry Jones about a possible Cowboys job — a claim Sanders denied this week.
“That’s not true,” Sanders told ESPN’s First Take. “What happened to my son last year? That can’t happen.” He was referring to his youngest son, Shedeur Sanders, who fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after starring for his father in college. Another son, Shiloh Sanders, who also played for Deion at Colorado, went undrafted and was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the preseason.
Shedeur became the Browns’ third quarterback to start in 2025, joining veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel. After Flacco was traded to Cincinnati and Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 12, Shedeur took over as the starter and finished his rookie stretch with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 3-4 record. He was also named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate, becoming Cleveland’s first Pro Bowl quarterback since Derek Anderson in 2008. Next season he’s expected to battle Gabriel and veteran Deshaun Watson for the starting job under new head coach Todd Monken, who reportedly showed interest in drafting Shedeur when he was a Ravens offensive coordinator.
Sanders’ first year at Colorado without his son under center was difficult — the Buffaloes went 3-9, rotating through Kaidon Salter, Ryan Staub and Julian Lewis at quarterback. Lewis, who finished the season with 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions before redshirting, is expected to be the starter next year. Overall, Sanders is 16-21 since taking the Colorado job in 2023.
Fan Take: This matters to NFL fans because it highlights how much influence coaching moves and draft evaluations can have on family dynamics and team fortunes — and it underlines how quickly a college star can become an NFL storyline. If Sanders stays at Colorado, it stabilizes a high-profile coaching presence in college football; if the NFL continues to pursue him, it could shift recruiting, media attention, and the balance between college and pro coaching hires.
