The odds were always stacked against Mike McCarthy this season. By believing a top-heavy roster would be enough to carry the Dallas Cowboys to the playoffs, the front office set up McCarthy to fail in the final year of his contract.
With it growing increasingly unlikely that McCarthy will be back in 2025, the national media is desperately trying to manifest Deion Sanders as the Cowboys' next head coach.
Sanders has spearheaded a remarkable turnaround of a previously-feeble Colorado football program. Led by potential top-five picks Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes are 8-2 and tied for first in the Big 12. They will likely clinch a College Football Playoff berth if they win their final two games.
Sanders' relationship with Jerry Jones is one of many variables that has many believing he's a perfect pick to replace McCarthy. The buzz has taken on a life of its own and Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has led that charge.
Jones finally set the record straight on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and the verdict may surprise Cowboys fans.
Jerry Jones doesn't sound like he wants Deion Sanders to coach the Cowboys
"One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he almost has no peer as far as being a recruiter. Kids want to come play for him. And he has a way of selling that. That is one skill, that recruiting skill, that is not a huge prerequisite for NFL coaches. One of his greatest values is in that area of putting the team together and getting great talent to come play for him there at Colorado."Jerry Jones, via The Athletic
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones when asked on @1053thefan about Deion Sanders' coaching future in the NFL: "I think we're way ahead of ourselves relative to when and if he decides to go into coaching in the NFL.
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 21, 2024
"One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he…
Jones beat around the bush, but that is essentially his polite way of saying he's not considering Sanders as the Cowboys' next head coach.
For once, Jones actually brought up salient points. While recruiting carries significant weight at the college level, it doesn't hold much value in the NFL. Coaches undoubtedly need some recruiting skill to lure free agents, but it is far from a prerequisite of succeeding in the big leagues.
It's no guarantee that Sanders' success at Colorado translates to the pros. Beyond that, the Hall of Famer said he would only coach the Cowboys under one condition: Dallas must draft his son, Shedeur Sanders, who is among the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 class.
Sanders has already said he's going to try and dictate where Shedeur gets drafted. While the Cowboys may end up with a top-five pick, they just made Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Crazier things have happened, but it's virtually impossible for Dallas to trade Prescott. For starters, Prescott's contract includes a no-trade clause. And in the slim chance he agreed to lift it, he would cost $104 million in dead cap if he's traded.
Do you really think a penny-pinching owner wants $104 million in dead money on the books with an extension for Micah Parsons on the horizon? Jones may love stealing headlines - and hiring Deion would send shockwaves around the country. But it is highly unlikely that he caves to Sanders' demands.
His comments on 105.3 The Fan all but confirm that.