"The Cowboy Links Weren't Real at All" Deion Sanders Was Never Leaving To Accept The Dallas Job

Deion Sanders says one of the biggest NFL coaching stories attached to his name never had any truth behind it. After months of links connecting him to the Dallas Cowboys vacancy, the Colorado coach says he never wanted the position.

The Hall of Famer dismissed reports that he seriously considered replacing Mike McCarthy after Dallas moved on from its head coach. As reported by Front Office Sports, Sanders said the stories connecting him to the Cowboys "weren't real at all" and insisted he never viewed the opening as a job he hoped to land.

A Super Bowl ring, five seasons wearing a Cowboys uniform, and a long friendship with Jerry Jones created fertile ground for the speculation. Television personalities spent weeks discussing the possibility while social media users treated a reunion as something that might happen at any time.

Boulder offered a far different clue about where Sanders saw his future. Colorado handed him a five year, $54 million extension that keeps him with the Buffaloes through 2029, one of the richest agreements in college football. The commitment signaled that both sides viewed the partnership as a long term project rather than a stepping stone.

Within the program, Sanders has repeatedly emphasized goals that stretch beyond Saturday scoreboards. He often speaks about diplomas, career opportunities, and preparing players for life after football. Building young men, he argues, carries just as much value as building a winning roster.

Professional football never held the same appeal from the coaching sideline. Sanders explained that he loved competing in the NFL as a player but sees coaching professionals as an entirely different experience. "I liked playing the pro game, but I wouldn't enjoy coaching the pro game. It's a different game," he said.

Expectations remain high in Colorado. A difficult 3-9 season in 2025 followed a year that generated enormous excitement around the program, increasing demands for visible progress on the field. Another losing season would likely generate far more attention than any Cowboys rumor ever did.

Dallas eventually handed the job to Brian Schottenheimer. For Sanders, the decision changed nothing. While countless broadcasts and online posts treated the opening as a possible destination, he says his attention never left the mountains of Colorado.