If you were surprised that Deion Sanders was the first name linked to the Dallas Cowboys' head coaching vacancy you must not be familiar with the Jerry Jones experience.
The news broke mere hours after Dallas moved on from Mike McCarthy and it happened smack in the middle of the Monday Night Football game between the Rams and Vikings, which was arguably the most anticipated matchup of Wild Card Weekend.
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Jones knows exactly how to control the narrative. Sure enough, ESPN's halftime show revolved around McCarthy's departure and the Cowboys' alleged interest in Sanders rather than the game itself.
What initially seemed like a ploy for attention has morphed into a legitimate story. Longtime Cowboys insider Ed Werder shared this week that Sanders would "almost certainly" accept the job if Jones offered it and Sanders' inner circle is pushing him to pursue it.
Well, another big domino has fallen that may push Sanders to Dallas.
Deion Sanders may fall right into the Cowboys' lap thanks to Colorado
According to Jane Slater of NFL Media, Colorado athletic director Rick George was resistant when Sanders approached him about investing more money into the program's NIL as well as his coaching staff.
One thing to watch following Jerry Jones and his initial discussions with Deion Sanders. Two people with knowledge of the situation tell me Sanders approached Colorado AD Rick George Tuesday about additional money for NIL and his staff. He was met with resistance. The University…
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 16, 2025
This can be viewed a couple different ways.
On one hand, it can be argued that Sanders is using the Cowboys as leverage to get more money from Colorado. In terms of assistant coach salaries, the Buffaloes ranked No. 44 in the country last season including seventh in the Big 12, according to USA Today.
It is certainly noteworthy that George didn't immediately acquiesce to Sanders' request. The supposed butting of heads may ultimately push Sanders to Dallas.
The Hall of Famer just wrapped the second season of the five-year contract he signed with Colorado. A few days ago, FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt reported Sanders has a "very, very, very good offer in front of him" from Colorado and he doesn't know why it hasn't been signed.
The timing of the Cowboys' interest may not be a coincidence. One of the NFL's flagship franchises threatening to lure Sanders from Boulder puts him in the driver's seat to get an even richer extension from the Buffaloes.
This whole thing is open for interpretation.
Either Jones agreed to help out an old friend or Sanders and Colorado are actually at odds about his contract. If it's the latter and Sanders' alleged interest in the Cowboys' job is genuine, the Buffaloes may end up gifting Prime Time to Dallas on a silver platter.