Deion Sanders, the charismatic head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, may be considering a leap to the NFL after all.
Despite repeatedly denying plans to leave Colorado, the opportunity to work with Tom Brady in Las Vegas could change his mind.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sanders has “very strong interest” in becoming the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Here’s the bottom line: The perception of the Raiders has been changed (for the better) by the presence of Tom Brady. Multiple good coaches being interested in the job is a good thing,” Bonsignore stated in his report.
Sanders recently outlined his NFL aspirations during appearances on multiple platforms.
Speaking on Good Morning America, he said he would only consider an NFL move if it allowed him to coach his two sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders.
Later, on Friday’s episode of The Tamron Hall Show, Sanders added there are “a couple of teams that I won’t allow” Shedeur to play for in the NFL.
While Sanders did not name specific teams, it seems unlikely that the Raiders would be on that list. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported in December that there is a belief Shedeur prefers Las Vegas as an NFL destination.
For Sanders and his son(s), several factors complicate the path to the Raiders.
According to some reports, Brady and the Raiders have strong interest in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
FOX Sports NFL insider Peter Schrager has reported that Johnson’s momentum as a candidate for the Raiders has “gained a lot of steam” in recent days.
Shedeur Sanders’ draft position is another potential hurdle.
The Raiders currently hold the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, trailing other quarterback-needy teams like the Tennessee Titans (No. 1), Cleveland Browns (No. 2), and New York Giants (No. 3).
There is a strong chance that if Vegas wants to draft Shedeur, they will most likely have to trade up to do so.
The Raiders, coming off a dismal 4-13 season, recently fired head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco.
The franchise, which has only two winning seasons since 2003, may see Sanders as the high-profile leader they need to change their fortunes.
Interestingly, the Dallas Cowboys are also in the market for a new head coach after deciding to let Mike McCarthy walk out the door on his expiring contract.
That’s not to say that Jerry Jones and company would seriously consider hiring Coach Prime. Although many people will surely suggest it, especially since Sanders is an all-time Cowboys legend.
What are your thoughts on the revelation that Sanders would be open to the Raiders job as long as he’d have his sons there with him?
At the end of the day, who will the Raiders end up hiring? … What about the Cowboys?
Where does Sanders factor into all of this? … Can you actually see him taking the leap to the NFL???
