It took a couple of days, but the Dallas Cowboys search for a new head coach is starting to pick up steam. While it is still early in the process, ex-Jets coach Robert Saleh will interview first for the job followed by Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier.
We learned on Thursday that old friend Kellen Moore will interview as well. The Cowboys will reportedly interview Moore before the Eagles' Divisional Round playoff matchup against the Rams. In other words, Dallas won't have to wait for Philly's season to end to interview Moore.
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While Moore and Saleh are prominent names this hiring cycle, Deion Sanders is by far the most captivating name mentioned in Dallas' search.
Sanders is eligible for a contract extension with Colorado, so many believe the links are just a leverage play by the Hall of Famer to get a raise from the Buffaloes. That may ultimately be the case, but longtime Cowboys reporter Ed Werder cleared the air in that regard.
Latest rumors are strongest sign yet that Deion Sanders would take Cowboys' head coaching job
Werder was told that Sanders "would almost certainly accept" if Jerry Jones offers to make him Dallas' head coach. Furthermore, those within Sanders' circle are "encouraging him" to pursue the opportunity and Jones himself is "enamored with the idea."
Sanders himself threw cold water on the contract leverage narrative. ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed on Get Up Thursday morning that Sanders told him, "That ain't true, and I don't need any negotiating ploy. I'm me."
"A lot of people out there now are saying that Deion Sanders is using this as a leverage ploy to get more money from Colorado. ... [Deion] said, 'That ain't true, and I don't need any negotiating ploy. I'm me.'" 👀
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 16, 2025
—@AdamSchefter on Deion Sanders and the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/AQOcTAYXy9
So ... this is starting to feel more realistic by the day.
Of course, the elephant in the room is Sanders still being under contract with Colorado. His deal includes a $8 million buyout. Jerry Jones is notoriously stingy when it comes to paying head coaches.
That he would have to pay Sanders' buyout on top of a likely lofty salary is without question the biggest hurdle in all of this.
The question is if Jones would make an exception for Prime Time. On top of having a close relationship with the first-ballot Hall of Famer, Sanders played five seasons with the Cowboys and was a catalyst in the team's last Super Bowl victory in 1995.
The other variable to consider is if Jones would accept a diminished spotlight. Part of why Jones loves owning the Cowboys is that he is the foremost face of the franchise. Sanders has one of the biggest personalities in the history of sport. He would become THE story in Dallas if hired.
While the Cowboys would be the NFL's lead story year round with Sanders as head coach, would Jones be willing to take a backseat?
Werder's reporting makes it sound like he would, which makes it increasingly realistic that Jones is dead serious about this.