Deion Sanders names ‘main issue’ with Cowboys, reaffirms he’d never coach in NFL


Mike McCarthy will spend at least one more year as Dallas Cowboys head coach, but when the time comes to replace him, Deion Sanders probably won’t throw his hat into the ring.

The Hall of Fame former Cowboys cornerback, who made waves in college football with a 3-0 start to his tenure as Colorado’s head coach before the Buffaloes finished the remainder of his 2023 debut season 1-8, reiterated that he has no interest in being an NFL head coach. 

“I’m good. I would never coach pros,” Sanders told former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III on the latter’s podcast recently. “You played with guys that was getting a handsome check that didn’t want to play. How am I going to handle that as a coach? … Here [in college] I can regulate that. At the next level, come on man. These cats don’t even want to practice no more.”

How will the Buffs fare in year two under Deion Sanders?

How will the Buffs fare in year two under Deion Sanders?

“I think the game is getting better and better because the athletes are phenomenal nowadays, but I can’t do it. I love the college game. I love still having influence on the minds and the games of these young men. I love shaping them and molding them. I couldn’t do that on the next level.” 

Sanders’ comments to Griffin should not be a surprise to those who have closely followed his past statements on the subject. Despite constant speculation he could one day coach in the league he once dominated as a player, Sanders has continued to express similar sentiments both publicly and privately when asked about the possibility of being an NFL head coach. 

However, “Coach Prime” did offer his perspective on the playoff struggles of his old team after the Cowboys were stunned by the underdog Green Bay Packers 48-32 in last weekend’s wild-card round game. The current Cowboys team’s main issue, Sanders said, is not living up to the mantra of “big-time players making big-time plays in big-time games.”

“I’ve been on every side of this thing,” Sanders said. “I know you can dial it up, but if [the players] don’t do their jobs, it ain’t gonna work. … I wish we could watch the game film in the stadium with the fans so they could see what’s said in [those] meetings.”

Why Mike McCarthy is not fully to blame for the Cowboys woes

Why Mike McCarthy is not fully to blame for the Cowboys woes

Sanders has brought in several reinforcements for Colorado’s 2024 season via the transfer portal — especially on the Buffaloes’ offensive line, whose struggles led to quarterback Sheduer Sanders, Deion’s son, becoming the most-sacked quarterback in the FBS last season. Colorado is gearing up for its transition back to the Big 12 conference next season.

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