Could the Cowboys pry Deion Sanders away from Colorado?

The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons and they seem to be trying to pry a high profile name from the college game. According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken to Colorado head coach Deion Sanders about the job and that there's mutual interest between the two sides.

This news is surprising because of comments Sanders made last week about coaching in the NFL.

"The only way I would consider is to coach my sons. Not son. Sons," Sanders said last Wednesday on Good Morning America. "I love Colorado, I love my Buffaloes, I love everything that we're building, I love everything that we're doing and I love Boulder, Colorado."

Schultz reported, though, that Sanders is considered a top candidate for the head coaching vacancy by the Cowboys.

Sources: #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken with Colorado HC Deion Sanders about the team’s head coaching vacancy, and discussions are expected to continue regarding the possibility of him becoming the next head coach in Dallas.

Coach Prime is considered a top candidate,… pic.twitter.com/A0ltEMy0bg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 14, 2025

Despite having no NFL coaching experience, the Cowboys' interest in Sanders shows just how meteoric his rise has been. Sanders spent three years coaching at Jackson State, from 2020-2022, leading the Tigers to a 27-6 record and two SWAC titles. He then moved up to the FBS, taking the head coaching job at Colorado. After a 4-8 record in his first season, the Buffaloes finished 9-4 in 2024, one win away from playing in the Big 12 Championship game.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders told ESPN Senor NFL Insider Adam Schefter. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Sanders spent five seasons of his playing career in Dallas, winning Super Bowl 30 with the team, and a reunion could be somewhat of a homecoming. However, based on his comments from last Wednesday, the Cowboys would need to find a way to draft Shedeur Sanders, projected be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the draft this April. If they can't figure out a way to draft Sanders, getting Deion to be their coach seems like a longshot.