Dallas Cowboys

Amid rumblings about the Dallas Cowboys potentially pursuing Deion Sanders as their next head coach, Jerry Jones' desire to be the center of the universe for the organization could present a problem.

Per The Athletic's Mike Sando, Jones is viewed as a "showman unwilling to leave the spotlight" by executives from other teams around the NFL.

This isn't exactly a groundbreaking revelation considering Jones is the only owner of an NFL franchise who talks to reporters after every game and has weekly appearances on a radio show in Dallas.

This is the same person who said in January 2024 that he's doing his job as long as people are always talking about the Cowboys.

Where it does matter, though, is that Sando noted Jones' need to be in the spotlight might hinder his ability to make moves that would be in the best interest of his team, particularly with a head coach.

Even though the job of Cowboys head coach would seem to be the most prestigious in the NFL because they are the most popular team in the league and constantly on national television, regardless of their record, they haven't been hiring the most highly sought-after people with the exceptions of Jimmy Johnson, who had an unceremonious exit after winning back-to-back Super Bowls, and Bill Parcells.

The other coaches Jones has hired during his tenure as owner include Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy.

Gailey is the only member of that group who got another full-time head-coaching job after leaving the Cowboys. He went 16-32 in three seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 2010 to '12. Phillips did have a three-game stint as interim head coach for the Houston Texans at the end of the 2013 season. (McCarthy could end up getting another job this offseason, as he is reportedly high on the list of candidates for the Chicago Bears.)

According to Sando, Jones has complained to other owners about the amount of "dead money" they have paid out to fired coaches. This could be a complicating factor if the Cowboys want to seriously pursue Sanders.

Even though Sanders wouldn't qualify as having dead money, NFL Network's Jane Slater reported his contract with Colorado has a $10 million buyout the Cowboys would have to pay before they could even sign him to a contract (starts at 1:40 mark).

Sanders would be one of the few potential candidates the Cowboys could hire who would be able to take some of the spotlight away from Jones. He has a big personality and has used that to his advantage to help recruit players to Jackson State and Colorado.

Coaching in the NFL is a totally different beast than college, but Sanders has been very successful everywhere he has worked so far.

The Cowboys might be looking for a coach who can make an immediate impact after a disappointing 7-10 record this season. It could come down to how much of the spotlight Jones would be willing to cede to the coach he decides to hire.

Some people within the NFL are reportedly not convinced that the Dallas Cowboys have legitimate interest in making Deion Sanders their next head coach.

Speaking Friday on her Scoop City podcast (beginning at the 11:40 mark), Dianna Russini of The Athletic said there is a "camp" of people in the league who she has spoken to that have said they believe the Cowboys' overtures to Sanders are "not real."

Sanders, who is a former Cowboys superstar cornerback and the current head football coach at the University of Colorado, spoke to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the organization's head coaching vacancy on Monday, per Fox Sports (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer).

The 57-year-old Sanders confirmed the talks in a statement provided to ESPN's Adam Schefter, saying:

"To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it's intriguing. 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."

Russini's sources referred to the discussions between Sanders and Jones as "flirting," and Russini went on to report that the Cowboys have been "scrambling" since Jones' original plan was to retain Mike McCarthy as head coach.

However, McCarthy's contract with the Cowboys expired last week, allowing him to take other head coaching interviews, and Jones announced this week that McCarthy is not returning as Dallas' head coach in 2025.

While Sanders is among the candidates to replace McCarthy, Russini named several other options on the Cowboys' radar, including former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Moore, who was a Cowboys quarterback from 2015 to 2017 and their OC from 2019 to 2022, may be Jones' preferred candidate, as Russini said "he's got his eyes on" Moore.

Sanders cannot be completely discounted as a possibility in Dallas, though, especially given his history with the franchise.

He spent five of his 14 NFL seasons as a player with the Cowboys, earning four Pro Bowl nods, three First Team All-Pro selections and one Super Bowl title during his tenure.

As great as Sanders was on the field, he has proved himself to be a competent coach as well, going 27-6 in three seasons at FCS Jackson State before taking the job at Colorado.

The Buffaloes went just 1-11 the year before Coach Prime arrived, but they improved to 4-8 in 2023 and then 9-4 in 2024.

Sanders also coached up his son, Shedeur Sanders, into perhaps being the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, and two-way superstar Travis Hunter into winning the Heisman Trophy and being only of the likely top picks in the draft.

Hiring Sanders would be a splashy move that would make headlines for the Cowboys, and it may be the type of outside-the-box move they need to get back to the top.

Dallas has not reached the Super Bowl or even an NFC Championship Game since Sanders played for the team in 1995, and it is coming off a hugely disappointing 7-10 season on the heels of three straight playoff appearances.

There is a great deal of pressure on the Cowboys to get their next head coaching hire right, and while Sanders may have the highest ceiling of any candidate, he would also represent a huge risk since he has no prior NFL coaching experience.

There is no indication that the Dallas Cowboys' coaching search is nearing its completion.

There also isn't an obvious need to drag this out any longer.

Sure, the Cowboys could have interest in certain candidates who are still fulfilling their current duties amid the NFL playoffs. Or perhaps they're eyeing someone who's also connected to one of the other openings around the league.

Dallas doesn't need to cast such a wide net, though. Not when there is a seemingly obvious choice for the job—and from a candidate who reportedly has strong interest in the opening created earlier this month when the club opted not to bring back Mike McCarthy.

Colorado Buffaloes coach and one-time Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders has had an open dialogue with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Moreover, WFAA's Ed Werder reported that Sanders "would almost certainly accept" if offered the job and has people around him "encouraging him to pursue it."

This feels like a match made in big-brand football heaven.

The Cowboys might be three decades removed from their last Super Bowl title, and yet they arguably remain the biggest brand in the NFL. The whole "America's Team" thing is more than a catchy nickname, and it might even undersell their full reach around the globe.

As for Sanders himself, he's the biggest name going in college football. He surely has reaped the benefits of some media hype—he's gone 13-12 over his first two seasons in Boulder—but the interest in him and aura around him are fully legitimate.

And his coaching resume might be stronger than it first appears. The Buffaloes went just 1-11 the season prior to his arrival. This past season, they reeled off nine victories and snagged a spot in the Alamo Bowl. Prior to Colorado, he went a blistering 27-5 and steered the Tigers to consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.

He also helped his stars shine undeniably bright. His son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, threw 134 touchdowns against just 27 interceptions over a four-year career that followed the same path from Jackson State to Colorado. He's now the 16th-ranked prospect and second-ranked prospect on the 2025 NFL draft big board of the B/R NFL Scouting Department.

And that big board just so happens to be headed by another Jackson State-to-Colorado star in Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a two-way star like Coach Prime was in his...well, prime. Hunter's overstuffed stat sheet from this past season included 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions, a forced fumble and a rushing touchdown.

Sanders' track record may not be the longest, and it's obviously devoid of any NFL experience, but he has still delivered results. And the Cowboys, who last reached the NFC Championship in the 1995 season, should be focused on finding results.

Naysayers will scoff at the notion of Sanders being the coach that finally delivers those results in Dallas. That skepticism shouldn't be the Cowboys' concern. If Jones feels Sanders is the best candidate for the job, then nothing else matters.

Sanders, who played on the Cowboys' last championship team, has already admitted his interest in the vacancy.

"To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it's intriguing," Sanders told ESPN's Adam Schefter. "I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it's intriguing."

The Cowboys should be equally intrigued.

You'd need a crystal ball to know whether this would actually work, but there wouldn't be a bigger story in the football world than a "Prime Time" sequel in Dallas.

There's plenty of uncertainty within the Dallas Cowboys organization right now as they look for their next head coach, but the team has an important draft coming up as they look to build for the future.

ESPN's Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. put together a new mock draft on Thursday, and the player they projected to go to Dallas is pretty exciting. Yates had the Cowboys picking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the 12th overall pick.

"I'll say this about Ashton Jeanty, and I've said it before, I'll reiterate it," Yates said (6:00 mark). "We talked all about the gaudy running back statistics this year. The rushing, off the charts. Over 2,000 rushing yards. It felt like he scored a touchdown every time he touched the football... Excellent vision, contact balance, breakaway speed, durability, ran hard in the fourth quarter despite the taxing workload."

Kiper agreed with Yates' pick, nothing the Cowboys' past history of finding running backs in the draft.

"They've done a great job identifying running backs, taking them, plugging them in and look what they've been able to do," he said. "For me, I agree wholeheartedly."

Jeanty had one of the best seasons by a running back in recent memory, collecting 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry on his way to being named a Heisman Finalist. Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department lists Jeanty as the No. 7 overall player in this year's class as well as the class' top running back

Some teams are hesitant about drafting a running back as early as the first round, but if there's one back that deserves to be off the board in the first round, it's Jeanty.

The only Super Bowl trip of Aaron Rodgers' long career came with Mike McCarthy on the sidelines, and he had nothing but good things to say about his former head coach.

Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday and called McCarthy a "hell of a ball coach" even after the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with the latter this offseason.

The future Hall of Famer also said he wasn't surprised to hear that some of the Cowboys players were upset the team moved on from McCarthy considering what type of coach and person he is to have in the organization.

Both Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons expressed their regret with the coach's exit.

The New York Jets quarterback is certainly familiar with McCarthy, as he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons from 2006 until he was fired in 2018. Rodgers was on the roster that entire tenure and was the starting quarterback every year starting in 2008, so the tandem worked together for a significant amount of time.

McCarthy went 125-77-2 with the Packers and led them to the playoffs nine times.

One of those nine times came during the 2010 campaign when the NFC North team won the Super Bowl. It remains the only trip to the sport's biggest stage for Rodgers during his illustrious career, so there is surely something of a soft spot for his former coach.

Still, as is often the case with Rodgers, there was reportedly some drama between the two during their time in Green Bay that included pushback on play calling and receiver routes and more.

Yet that is in the past, and winning often covers up any larger concerns. And the Packers did plenty of winning when they were together, and Rodgers had nothing but kind words for his former coach Thursday.

They come after McCarthy completed an interview with the Chicago Bears and has been linked to the New Orleans Saints.

Rodgers' own future is also somewhat up in the air, as he is 41 years old and has just one season remaining on his contract. He wasn't exactly dominant in 2024 either as the Jets went 5-12 and now find themselves also searching for a new head coach.

There is reportedly momentum building toward Deion Sanders becoming the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL insider Ed Werder reported Thursday that he was told Sanders "would almost certainly accept" the job if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered it. Werder noted people around the Hall of Famer are "encouraging him to pursue it."

What's more, Jones is also apparently "enamored with the idea."

This comes after Sanders previously spoke about the possibility and said, "To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it's intriguing," per ESPN's 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."

Even in expressing his love for his current position, that wasn't exactly a no.

The timing of Sanders leaving Colorado after two seasons would make some sense, as his son, Shedeur, is set to enter the NFL in the upcoming draft. What's more, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is also expected to be one of the first prospects taken come draft day.

It may put an end to the momentum he built in just two seasons with the Buffaloes, but head coach of the Cowboys is one of the most notable jobs in the sport, and it just so happens to be available in the same offseason his son is leaving the school.

Sanders also has an obvious connection to Dallas, as he played for the team for five seasons from 1995 to 1999. He helped the Cowboys win a Lombardi Trophy and was an All-Pro in four of those seasons.

If Sanders took the job, it would be easy to speculate that he would want the Cowboys to trade up in the draft and put themselves in position to select Shedeur. Outside of the clear personal connection, it would also mean starting with a new head coach and quarterback on the same timeline as the franchise looks to put the disappointing 2024 campaign in the rearview mirror.

However, Schefter appeared on Thursday's episode of Get Up (5:30 mark) and reported Sanders "would go to Dallas and be thrilled to coach Dak Prescott."

The Cowboys went 12-5 in each of the last three seasons Prescott remained healthy from 2021 to 2023, so the idea that a coaching prospect would be happy to work with the veteran quarterback isn't that surprising even if the franchise is still waiting on postseason success with No. 4 under center.

Perhaps Sanders would be the one to bring it as the next head coach.

While many are wondering if Colorado's Deion Sanders could reunite with the Dallas Cowboys as their next head coach, the team is eyeing another familiar face to potentially fill the position.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys officially put in an interview request for Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Rapoport called Moore "one of the top candidates."

Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported Moore will interview with the Cowboys on Friday ahead of the Eagles' Divisional Round playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.

A former NFL backup quarterback, Moore spent the final three years of his career in Dallas before immediately joining the team's coaching staff in 2018 as quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator the following year. When Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach in 2020, he was retained as the team's offensive coordinator for the next three years.

Moore mutually parted ways with the Cowboys after the 2022 season and joined the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff under Brandon Staley. However, Staley was fired before the end of the season and the staff wasn't retained under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, paving the way for Moore to head to Philadelphia.

Under Moore's direction, the Eagles averaged 367.2 total yards and 27.2 points per game. The team's average of 179.3 rushing yards ranked second in the NFL, and running back Saquon Barkley achieved the ninth 2,000-yard season in NFL history with a league-leading 2,005 yards.

In addition to Moore, the Cowboys reportedly will also interview former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Seattle Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier for their opening.

After finishing 7-10 and falling short of the playoffs in its final season under McCarthy, Dallas will be thorough in its search for a new head coach to provide the team's starving fan base with some much-needed positivity.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' previous declaration that he would only coach in the NFL if he could coach his son, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, reportedly may not factor into his chances of becoming the Dallas Cowboys' next head coach.

During Thursday's episode of Get Up (5:30 mark), ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Sanders "would go to Dallas and be thrilled to coach Dak Prescott."

After the Cowboys parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy earlier this week following the official expiration of his contract, attention immediately turned to Sanders. The Hall of Famer spent five years of his playing career in Dallas and helped the team win its last Super Bowl title in 1995.

Sanders told Schefter that he already heard from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but he's still committed to his position with the Buffaloes:

Sanders has coached Shedeur both in high school and all four years of his college career. The two of them were together at Jackson State before heading to Colorado together in 2023. Shedeur Sanders is ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft class in the B/R NFL Scouting Department's latest big board and is projected to be selected by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 1 overall pick in the most recent mock draft.

The Cowboys own the No. 12 pick in this year's draft, and Schefter shot down the possibility of them trading Prescott to move up to No. 1 to select Sanders. However, he maintained that Coach Prime would be open to coaching in Dallas with or without his son.

"Deion himself has said that the only draw to the NFL would be that if he got to go coach Shedeur, but I think nobody said to him, 'Well, what about the idea of Jerry Jones?' Because I think he views the relationship he has with Jerry Jones and who Jerry Jones is as something that would be attractive enough to get him to leave Colorado, potentially, and not have to coach his son. ... There are exceptions," Schefter said.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders already publicly commented on the notion he could become the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and the discussions are reportedly not over.

ESPN reported Wednesday that the conversations between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Sanders regarding the vacancy after the team parted ways with Mike McCarthy "are expected to continue" even after they spoke Monday night.

Sanders opened up about the idea to ESPN's Adam Schefter and said, "To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it's intriguing.

"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."

It should be noted Sanders didn't specifically say no to the idea of coaching the Cowboys even while discussing how much he loves his current position with the Big 12 program.

A jump to the NFL would be notable timing for the Hall of Famer, as his son, Shedeur Sanders, and Colorado's Heisman winner, Travis Hunter, are set to make the same jump in the upcoming draft. The Buffaloes may struggle in 2025 without their two star players, and Sanders would be leaving the college game at the same time as his son.

Still, he would also be departing Colorado at a time when it has plenty of momentum.

The team went 4-8 in his first season as head coach in 2023 but improved to 9-4 in 2024. It battled for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game before falling just short and seems to be on an impressive trajectory in a small amount of time with Sanders as head coach.

Yet opportunities to coach arguably the NFL's most prominent team don't come around every day.

Sanders is also quite familiar with the organization and Jones seeing how he played in Dallas for five seasons from 1995 to 1999. He was a Pro Bowler in each of those five campaigns and was named to the first-team All-Pro team three times.

The Cowboys also won the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.

Perhaps they will be chasing another one with Sanders depending on how the coaching search unfolds.