Deion Sanders has made his stance crystal clear: he's not heading to the NFL anytime soon - and maybe not ever.
After three rollercoaster seasons at Colorado, where the Buffaloes went 16-21 under his watch, Sanders put to rest the persistent speculation about a jump to the pros. The 2025 campaign was a tough one, with Colorado slipping to 3-9 after a promising 9-4 season the year before.
Despite the downturn, Sanders remains under contract through 2029 on a five-year, $54 million deal. The buyout?
A hefty $10 million if he leaves before December 31, 2026.
But all the money talk aside, Sanders made it personal. When asked on ESPN’s First Take if he’d consider coaching in the NFL, he didn’t hesitate: “Not whatsoever.
What transpired with my son last year? Ain’t no way in the world.”
He stopped short of going deeper, but the reaction in the studio - a knowing laugh from those around him - said enough. Everyone understood exactly what he meant.
The heart of the matter is Shedeur Sanders. Once projected as a first-round NFL Draft pick, Shedeur slid all the way to No. 144 in 2025, where the Cleveland Browns picked him up in the fifth round.
That kind of fall doesn’t happen without raising eyebrows. Fans and analysts alike questioned how a quarterback with first-round buzz could drop that far.
Some even whispered about collusion. For the Sanders family, it wasn’t just a draft-day disappointment - it was a gut punch.
Shedeur didn’t stay down for long. Despite being buried on the Browns' depth chart behind Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco, he got his shot when Gabriel went down midseason.
Shedeur stepped in, started seven games, and went 3-4 - good enough to earn a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. Not bad for a fifth-rounder.
Kevin Stefanski, the coach who initially sidelined him, was out by season’s end. New head coach Todd Monken hasn’t named a starter yet, but Shedeur’s performance has him in the driver’s seat.
That journey - from first-round hopeful to draft-day slide to Pro Bowl quarterback - clearly left a mark on both father and son. And it’s part of why Deion’s NFL door is now firmly shut.
Years ago, he said he’d only coach in the NFL if he could coach both his sons. That ship has sailed.
There was a moment last offseason when Sanders spoke with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Dallas ultimately promoted Brian Schottenheimer instead.
Maybe that was the window. Maybe that was the moment.
But it’s gone now.
RJ Young summed it up well: “The man has had his health scares - from the amputation to the cancer… And then you compound that with his kid being ridiculed not just by other media members, but by people that claim to know something about the NFL. Even having a kid that got his daddy’s iPad to go prank call the boy… I could see why I probably wouldn’t want anything to do with that.”
Colorado, meanwhile, is holding on tight. The program that went 1-11 in 2022 before Sanders arrived now has him locked in - financially and emotionally.
His buyout drops to $6 million after December 31, 2027, then to $4 million the year after that. But it’s not just about the numbers anymore.
It’s about unfinished business.
Right now, Colorado has just a 0.56% chance of making the 2026 College Football Playoff, according to PFSN. That’s a long shot, no doubt.
But Sanders isn’t one to shy away from long odds. He’s already turned the Buffaloes from an afterthought into a national storyline.
And after last year’s 3-9 stumble, he’s got even more motivation to get it right.
The NFL may have turned its back on Shedeur. Deion’s turned his back on the NFL. And Boulder gets both of them - for now, and maybe for good.