After the Dallas Cowboys let former head coach Mike McCarthy’s contract expire today, many began to speculate on who would get an interview for one of the most notorious roles in the NFL. Would it be former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll? Could current DC Mike Zimmer get the promotion? How about former Cowboy legend Jason Witten, who is currently a high school coach in Texas?
We got the first answer, and it comes from someone who has worn the star before: current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz has reported that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones and Sanders have spoken about the job, and he is considered a top candidate.
Sources: #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken with Colorado HC Deion Sanders about the team’s head coaching vacancy, and discussions are expected to continue regarding the possibility of him becoming the next head coach in Dallas.
Coach Prime is considered a top candidate,… pic.twitter.com/A0ltEMy0bg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 14, 2025
Even more, from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Deion Sanders and Jerry Jones have spoken about the Cowboys’ head coaching job, as @Schultz_Report reported. Their talks will continue.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
As many others have speculated, former #Cowboys star Deion Sanders — who has talked to Jerry Jones regularly for the last few decades — has some interest in the Dallas job, sources say. Cowboys have at least some interest, as well.
The two sides will stay in contact. https://t.co/73lzFkndmO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2025
Our own James Dator wrote about Sanders potentially becoming the Cowboys coach last year. Now it might be happening.
Sanders has risen meteorically since entering the college ranks at Jackson State. Since becoming a college coach, he’s gone 40-18 at both Jackson State and Colorado. In that time, his son Shedeur Sanders rose to potentially being the top QB in the 2025 NFL Draft and DB/WR Travis Hunter winning the Heisman and also potentially being a top pick come April. He also played for the Cowboys from 1995-1999, so Jerry already knows how he looks in the star.
I’m going to be completely honest: I’m not sure how this will work out, but the content along the way would be OUTSTANDING. Imagine if Sanders gets the job, and decides to trade QB Dak Prescott in order to draft his son and then work his way up to drafting Hunter as well. Just run back everything you did at Colorado, even down to having every member of the Wu Tang Clan on the sideline at every game. At least Cowboys games would be fun…for people not affiliated with the Cowboys.
Honestly, Sanders being linked to the job is 1,000 times better than Jason Witten or Jason Garrett, so it’s a positive step.
