Deion Sanders’ contract extension with Colorado, announced right before the 2025 NFL Draft, wasn’t by chance, according to former NFL safety Ryan Clark. The timing, he suggested, was deliberate. After revitalizing Colorado’s football program in just two years, Sanders inked a new deal through 2029.
The extension raises his salary to $10 million annually, making him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12. With three years remaining on his original contract, Colorado’s move reflects a clear commitment, especially as Sanders’ sons, Shedeur and Shilo, prepared to leap to the NFL.
Ryan Clark Breaks Down Deion Sanders’ Timing and Intent Behind Colorado Contract Deal
Clark offered sharp insight into the timing of Deion Sanders’ contract extension with Colorado, calling it a calculated move executed just ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Speaking on The Pivot, the former NFL safety suggested Sanders didn’t sign his new deal randomly.
Instead, Clark believes it was a strategic decision, one that served a dual purpose—removing speculation and protecting his son, Shedeur Sanders, during the draft process.
“This is just my opinion personally—the Sanders family won the weekend in what felt like a loss,” Clark said.
“The Sanders family won the weekend.”
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Despite the disappointment of Shedeur Sanders falling in the draft, Clark commended the family’s composure, praising Shedeur’s “composure, poise, grace, elegance, gratitude, behavior throughout this entire week.” Clark said Shedeur’s demeanor reflected maturity and professionalism, underscoring that he “understood that it was bigger than him.”
Clark questioned the decisions made by several NFL teams in selecting quarterbacks, asserting,
“I know enough football to know that Dylan Gabriel is not a better quarterback than Shedeur Sanders,” Clark said.
While acknowledging that some picks could be explained by other intangibles, he emphasized that Shedeur had the talent to compete at the highest level.
According to Clark, Deion Sanders’ decision to sign his contract early was not merely about job security but also about removing a potential distraction for NFL teams.
“Was Deion Sanders [signing] his contract with Colorado early because he wanted coaches who might have been on the hot seat, who were thinking about drafting Shedeur, who thought that maybe if he didn’t excel earlier, maybe if I don’t win, they’ll go get Deion Sanders? Deion said, ‘let me take that out of the equation,’” Clark said.
He also explored the possibility that Deion may have overestimated his son’s draft position.
“There’s also a train of thought that Deion may have overshot Shedeur’s talent,” Clark noted.
However, he quickly balanced that by emphasizing Shedeur’s off-field attributes.
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“He has all of the other stuff,” Clark said, pointing to his quick pivot to community service and workouts. “Look how smart he is.”
Despite the uncertainty and criticism, Clark saw the weekend as a defining moment for the Sanders family.
“It says a lot about the woman and man who raised him and who that family is,” Clark said.
For Clark, how they handled the situation turned adversity into a powerful statement.
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