Deion Sanders is heading into 2026 with a lot more to prove than he had at this point a year ago.
Colorado’s 2025 season turned into a step backward in a hurry. Sanders dealt with health issues, including bladder cancer, during the offseason, and he also faced an unsettled quarterback situation for the first time in his Buffaloes tenure. The result was a 3-9 finish that left Colorado near the bottom of the Big 12.
Now the questions are pointed. Sanders’ health has improved, and there’s hope Julian Lewis is ready to take a step forward at quarterback. But if Colorado doesn’t rebound, the conversation around Sanders’ future will get louder.
The money tied to that future is substantial.
After Colorado’s 9-4 season in 2024, Sanders signed a five-year, $54 million extension that runs through 2029. His salary is set at $10 million in 2025 and again in 2026, then rises to $11 million in each of 2027 and 2028 before reaching $12 million in 2029. Once 2026 is over, Sanders would still have three years and $34 million left on the deal.
That extension came after a major rise from the five-year, $29.5 million contract he originally signed at Colorado. Sanders inherited a program coming off a 1-11 season, then followed a rough 4-8 debut year with a breakthrough nine-win campaign in 2024 that earned him the extension.
But the momentum didn’t last through 2025. Colorado slipped to 3-9 after the departures of Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to the NFL, and Sanders enters Year 4 under pressure to get the Buffaloes moving in the right direction again.
If Colorado were to move on from him, the buyout would be steep. According to The Denver Post, Sanders is owed 75 percent of his remaining base salary if he is fired. That would leave Colorado responsible for $25.5 million if the school fires him before the end of 2026.
The number drops with time, but it’s still a hefty price tag. If Colorado waited until 2027 to make a move, the buyout would fall to $17.25 million.
Even so, that figure sits below some of the most expensive coaching buyouts in the sport, including Brian Kelly’s $54 million, James Franklin’s $48.6 million and Mark Stoops’ $37.6 million last year.
Sanders’ overall record at Jackson State and Colorado reflects the uneven ride. He went 23-3 over his final two seasons at Jackson State and owns a 43-27 career mark, but he has only one winning season in three years in Boulder. His Colorado record stands at 16-21 overall, including 9-18 in Big 12 play.
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Lewis had a rough opening stretch, with ball handling and passing issues showing up during the first three quarters while Colorado tried to find a rhythm. With Sanders watching from the stands, every snap seemed to carry a little extra weight, and the opener took on the feel of more than just a new season starting. For Colorado, it was a reminder of how quickly the quarterback spotlight can shift, and how much the old one still lingers. [Read more 🡒]
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Julian Lewis helped steady the moment with the late touchdown drive, and the victory gave Colorado plenty to feel good about beyond the final score. Even so, the conversation around the program now has a familiar edge to it: the kind of debate that comes after a narrow escape, when one play can be praised, questioned, and replayed from every angle long after the crowd leaves the stadium. [Read more 🡒]