After insisting that he wouldn’t jump to the NFL unless he was able to coach both of his sons, University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders has been linked to one job in the pro ranks.
Just a few days ago, Sanders appeared on Good Morning America’s ‘GMA3’ where he revealed that he wanted to coach both of his sons that jumped to Colorado with him – quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders.
‘You know what? The only way I would consider [it], is to coach my son-s. Not son, son-s,’ Sanders revealed. When a GMA anchor pointed out that his answer wasn’t a ‘no’, he continued: ‘I love Colorado. I love my Buffaloes, I love everything that we’re building. I love everything that we’re doing. And I love Boulder, Colorado. I do. Immensely.’
Cut to three days later: the Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that Sanders has ‘very strong interest’ in the top job with the Las Vegas Raiders.
A source for the paper said associates of Sanders’ with connections to the league have reached out to the team to inform them of his interest.
Las Vegas is one of six NFL teams who have a head coaching vacancy after the team made the decision to fire Antonio Pierce.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has reportedly indicated his interest in the Raiders job
New Raiders part-owner Tom Brady is reportedly leading the team’s search for a coach
Sanders wants to coach both his sons in the NFL, including QB Shedeur Sanders (above)
Pierce won the job after going 5-4 on an interim basis in 2023 when the team axed Josh McDaniels. But just a single 4-13 season with a sub-par quarterback situation and a poor performing offense was enough for owner Mark Davis to move on from him.
Now, part-owner and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady is leading the coaching search. He’s also looking for a new general manager after the Raiders jettisoned Tom Telesco on Thursday.
The Raiders have already interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. They have set interviews with former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and ex-New York Jets coach Robert Saleh next week.
The Review-Journal says it isn’t clear if the Raiders are as interested in ‘Coach Prime’ as he is in them.
Las Vegas holds the sixth pick in the NFL Draft and by that time, it’s expected that Shedeur Sanders will have already been drafted. Most mocks project that he will be taken within the first three picks – to either the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, or the New York Giants.
If Deion’s words on GMA3 are to be taken as fact, it’s possible that if the Raiders hire him, then he’ll likely try to trade up to take Shedeur.
The Raiders have not won a playoff game since the 2002 AFC Championship. They went on to lose Super Bowl XXXVII to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since that Super Bowl defeat, they’ve only made the playoffs twice.
