The Dallas Cowboys and Deion Sanders seemed like a natural fit on paper. With Jerry Jones searching for a new head coach earlier this year and Sanders having the resume and reputation he has, speculation about a potential reunion quickly gained traction. However, the move never materialized. Now, months after first addressing the rumors, Coach Prime is once again setting the record straight on why an NFL jump was never part of his plans.

“They weren’t real at all,” Sanders told Front Office Sports. “I liked playing the pro game, but I wouldn’t enjoy coaching the pro game. It’s a different game.”

To give you some context, Sanders is referring to the speculation surrounding the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching job after Jerry Jones and Co. did not renew Mike McCarthy’s contract in January 2025. While many names were in the running, NFL insiders Todd Archer and Ian Rapoport reported that Prime Time was also a top candidate and even held discussions with the Cowboys owner.

However, he ultimately did not take the head coaching role, as America’s Team named offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as McCarthy’s replacement.

Instead, Coach Prime continued his role with the Colorado Buffaloes and went on to have a disappointing 3–9 record. This was his worst performance in three seasons in Boulder, following a 9–4 record in 2024, which included a bowl game appearance. However, this was not Sanders’ first coaching stint in football; he began his coaching career back in 2012 at Prime Prep Academy at the high school level.

Sanders then transitioned to college football with Jackson State in 2020, where he had a 27-6 record during his three seasons (2020–2022) before moving to Colorado. Now, after three years in Boulder, the NFL would have been the perfect next step for the Hall of Famer. However, he remains adamant about coaching at the college level because he wants to help younger generations secure their futures, which may or may not involve football.

“I’m focused on winning and getting these kids through college so they have degrees, and they’re able to attain tremendous professions even after football is over,” Sanders told FOS. “But I have no thought process of the NFL whatsoever.”

With these statements, it’s clear that Deion Sanders is extremely focused on continuing his college coaching career, but his decision not to pursue an NFL career also stems from another, more personal issue, involving his son, Shedeur Sanders, and his recent entry into the league as the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

How Shedeur’s NFL career stopped Deion Sanders from coaching in pro football

One of the most popular players in the NFL, Shedeur Sanders, has grown up in the limelight as the son of a Hall of Famer. Hence, when Shedeur decided to play under his father first at Jackson State and then with the Colorado Buffaloes, all football fans were watching. And despite this pressure, the younger Sanders delivered.

Over his four-year college football career at Jackson State and Colorado, Shedeur completed 1,267 of 1,808 passes (70.1%) for 14,353 yards, 134 touchdowns, and was touted to go as a top pick in the 2025 draft. However, this wasn’t the case, as the young signal-caller fell to the Browns as the 144th pick. But his problems didn’t stop when he entered the league. Sanders faced continued scrutiny, as fans and the media blew his every action out of proportion.

With his son going through these hardships, the 58-year-old issued a clear statement about not coaching in the NFL after what Shedeur had to go through in the league.

“Not whatsoever. What transpired with my son last year? Ain’t no way in the world,” Sanders said during an appearance on First Take earlier this year.

Deion Sanders has made his position clear. College football is where he belongs, and that is where he plans to stay.