Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has been a reported candidate for nearly every head coach opening in the NFL. Rumors have circulated that Sanders is in talks to coach one NFL team or the other, but they all seem to lead nowhere.
Recently, a funny interaction on Twitter between two football analysts highlighted just how ridiculous the speculations around Coach Prime’s potential move to the NFL are getting.
Denver Podcaster Ryan Koenigsberg Gives Hilarious Response to NFL Columnist’s Tweet About Deion Sanders
New York Daily News NFL columnist Pat Leonard recently tweeted, “It’s not difficult to connect the dots: Deion Sanders will immediately become a candidate to be the #Giants’ next head coach if the team drafts his son, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, in April.”
This caught the attention of Denver sports podcaster Ryan Koenigsberg, who responded to the tweet by saying, “Coach Prime is the top candidate for jobs that aren’t even open.”
Coach Prime is the top candidate for jobs that aren’t even open https://t.co/X9d5PtyEqO
— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) January 31, 2025
Koenigsberg’s response, while a bit cheeky, reflects the reality of Coach Prime’s relationship with the NFL. The report in question is one of many that hint at Sanders becoming the next head coach for the New York Giants.
This trend stems from the idea that the Giants will draft Deion’s son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as they are famously in need of a reliable quarterback. Since their head coach position is also uncertain to some, Deion, who is considered by many as one of the best head coaches in football, seems like a good candidate.
In addition to the Giants rumors, Coach Prime was also rumored to be next in line for the Dallas Cowboys head coaching job. For almost a year, various reports surfaced in the media, linking Sanders to the team he played for from 1995-99.
MORE ON COACH PRIME: ‘I Don’t Know What My Dad Is Going to Do’ — Shilo Sanders Teases Coach Prime’s Mysterious NFL Plan
With Sanders being a former Cowboy, a Prime Time-Jerry Jones reunion made sense at the time. Like the Giants, many believed it was time for the Cowboys to make a change at quarterback, once again bringing Shedeur Sanders into the conversation.
These reports seemed set to come to fruition when Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders had a phone call to discuss the possibility of Sanders joining the Cowboys. However, Jones recently dismissed these reports, claiming that the phone call was “just a conversation.”
The Las Vegas Review-Journal also reported that Prime had a “very strong interest” in the Raiders’ head coaching position. The Raiders soon dismissed this report, making it clear that they intended to move in another direction, which was made obvious when they hired former Seattle Seahawks and USC head coach Pete Carroll to lead the team.
Too Early To Dismiss Sanders Giants Head Coach Rumors?
Sanders has publicly expressed his desire to coach his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders, in the NFL. Despite repeatedly emphasizing his intention to stick with the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders fueled rumors of him leaving college football for the NFL when, in an appearance on the show “Good Morning America,” he claimed that “the only way I would consider (going to the NFL) is to coach my sons.”
With the Giants in need of a quarterback and potentially a new head coach, reports that they were considering bringing in the Sanders family began to circulate. To make things worse, New York head coach Brian Daboll appeared to be in a world of trouble after a rough 3-14 season.
The team’s president, John Mara, had reportedly asked Daboll to give up offensive play-calling, which, in the eyes of many, gives Daboll’s time with the Giants an expiration date.
Giants GM Joe Schoen made some comments about Shedeur Sanders during an interview at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
“He’s a great kid,” Schoen began. “Really good personality. Football smart. Dad’s a football coach. It’s a little bit cliche, but he checks all the boxes of having a dad who’s a football coach and the passion that he approaches the game with.
“It was good getting the meeting,” Schoen added. “He’s had a really good career in Colorado, and obviously, we look forward to getting to know all those guys the rest of the process.”
Though Daboll will remain as the New York head coach, there’s still a chance that Sanders could take over by the end of the upcoming season. According to USAToday, the buyout on Coach Prime’s Colorado contract sits at a reported $8 million, but it will fall to $5 million by the end of the year.
Giants president John Mara might have a case for buying out Prime’s contract with one year remaining on Daboll’s if the Giants begin the 2025 season poorly.
Daboll, who has publicly expressed his desire for his team to have “good quarterback play,” will no doubt be interested in drafting Shedeur Sanders. If the Giants continue to lose with Shedeur leading the offense, then Daboll will likely be gone by the end of the season. The logical move would then be to find a coach who can win and simultaneously improve the franchise’s culture.
This brings Coach Prime back into the conversation. Prime Time has a reputation for reviving struggling football programs, having done so at both Jackson State and Colorado. As Shedeur Sanders’ father, he has also proven he can bring out Shedur’s fullest potential.
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