The NFL coaching carousel has continued to spin, and a recent entry is planning to steal the headlines.
The Las Vegas Raiders are one of seven teams changing head coaches this season, and they are continuing to interview candidates for the position.
On Sunday, the New England Patriots were the first team to fill their coaching vacancy, hiring former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
However, no more than 24 hours after Vrabel signed on with the Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys hopped on the carousel when they announced on Monday that they would not renew the contract of head coach Mike McCarthy.
The Cowboys are now on the hunt for McCarthy’s replacement, and a candidate with previous links to the Raiders has become a shocking frontrunner.
According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has spoken to University of Colorado head coach and team legend Deion Sanders about the position. Schultz also mentions that there is mutual interest in the job.
Sources: Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders have spoken, and while a formal interview hasn’t been scheduled yet, there is mutual interest.
My understanding is that the two are going to stay in contact on this. https://t.co/D9z3OYruuC
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 14, 2025
A cornerback for the Cowboys from 1995-99, Sanders was part of the Super Bowl-winning team in 1995 and was first-team All-Pro from 1996-98. According to Sanders, a return to Dallas as head coach would be ‘intriguing,’
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders told ESPN on Monday night, per Adam Schefter on X. “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.”
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Deion Sanders told ESPN on Monday night. “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,… pic.twitter.com/OMossS9iOx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
Sanders has recently expressed interest in the Raiders’ head coaching job as well, but reports have indicated that the interest is not mutual.
While Sanders has expressed the desire to stay with the University of Colorado, he has mentioned before that he will only leave for the NFL for the opportunity to coach his sons, Colorado quarterback Shedeur and safety Shilo Sanders.
For the Cowboys, that will be a major sticking point in any negotiations with Sanders. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott signed a four year, $240 million contract hours before the 2024 season started, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
It raises the question: can the Cowboys get Sanders to relent on his current stance, or would they be forced to make a massive trade for Shedeur that they do not need to make?
If the latter is what happens, the Raiders will be one of the teams most affected. The quarterback class in the 2025 draft falls off significantly after Sanders and Miami quarterback Cam Ward, so losing the opportunity to get either puts them on the back foot early.
The Raiders have no intention of going after Sanders, but the Cowboys doing so has the potential to create chaos for them nonetheless.
