Deion Sanders Leaving Colorado for Cowboys Would Be Expensive

As the Cowboys dominate the NFL news cycle with speculation about Deion Sanders replacing Mike McCarthy as the head coach in Dallas, there are some important financial obstacles to consider.

Sanders is entering the third season of a five-year, $29.5 million contract as head coach of Colorado. If he were to leave in 2025, the university would be owed $8 million (cheaper than the $10 million UNC would be owed if Bill Belichick leaves before June 1).

The Cowboys are widely estimated to be the world’s most valuable professional sports franchise, worth at least $10 billion, but money was still an issue for Dallas owner and GM Jerry Jones, who had the final say on McCarthy’s departure.

On the team’s official website, Cowboys columnist Mickey Spagnola wrote, “Jerry likely wasn’t willing to commit guaranteed money over the five-year time period new head coaches have been signing over the past year that certainly McCarthy’s agent, Don Yee, was angling for.” That’s in line with other reporting, including from ProFootballTalk, which previously cited similar thinking around league circles.

McCarthy was making $8 million per season in Dallas, according to ESPN. The NFL’s highest-paid coaches have salaries well into the eight figures ($10 million and more). Broncos coach Sean Payton and Chiefs coach Andy Reid could each make as much as $100 million over five years.

It would seem unlikely for Sanders to leave Colorado without a raise upon the $5.9 million (plus $1.85 million in potential incentives) he is due to make in 2025. However, even that salary is above what first-time NFL coaches typically initially earn, which is often not more than $5 million per season.

Rocky Mountain Man

Sanders confirmed he spoke with Jones on the phone about the Cowboys opening, telling ESPN, “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Colorado is moving forward without an official NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective, after dropping its partner, the 5430 Alliance.

Earlier this week, Sanders posted a video on social media of his first team meeting of the year, in which he said he was excited to “just be a coach and not be a dad.” For the past two seasons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders were on the Buffaloes. Shedeur is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in the NFL Draft, while Shilo’s professional prospects are less certain.