Deion Sanders just got some fresh advice from his buddy Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe, being a fellow NFL legend, has usually stood by Deion’s side. At least most of the time, anyway. And now, he’s back with some thoughts on the recent CBS Sports media controversy.

On August 9th, Coach Prime had a tense media day. When a CBS reporter tried to ask a question, Deion wasn’t having it. He quickly shut him down, saying, “I’m not doing nothing with CBS,” clearly frustrated.

Now Shannon Sharpe took notice and shared his honest opinion on his August 12th Nightcap show. First, he noted how the sports media ranked Deion as the second-worst coach in the Big 12 and placed him way back at 61st overall among HCs in the conference. Well, that’s a tough pill to swallow for a Hall of Famer! “This is new to Time. Since he’s been playing sports, he’s always been the best, always told he was the best,” Sharpe said. He also pointed out that Deion’s frustration was more about CBS as a whole, not the individual reporter.

However, Sharpe didn’t fully agree with how Deion handled it. “We can’t get mad if somebody says of all athletes doing sports podcasts, Nightcap might be the 50th best,” he said to co-host Chad Johnson, putting things into perspective. They both agreed that Deion probably shouldn’t have made it such a big deal though.

Finally, Sharpe wrapped it up with some solid advice for Coach Prime, reminding him that it’s all just “opinions.” He encouraged Deion to stay focused, saying, “Time just has to keep coaching… go put together a 9-3 or 10-2 season.” Now, this balanced take comes not long after Deion reportedly criticized Sharpe, making it a bit of a full-circle moment.

Sharpe comes to Deion Sanders’ rescue after player transfer storm

Deion Sanders had a rough spring. A bunch of 40-plus Buffs players left the team, and everyone was on his case for not being able to hold onto them. Amidst the backlash, Deion too poured his thoughts. He said he’s “judged by the people I thought would protect me. I thought that was my safe haven.”

Now, he didn’t say who, but Sharpe invited himself to the party. He remembered Deion’s words and said, “He thought the people he loved the most and spoke the highest of would protect him. Those are the people that’s been most outspoken against him…..that’s us.” He was basically saying Deion felt burned by his friends in the media. Sharpe used Pat McAfee and Joe Rogan as an example of how real friends support each other publicly.

Now, Sharpe’s sticking up for Deion. He’s defending his fellow HoF against all the hate he’s getting. Even during this weekend episode of Nightcap, he took his side, saying, “Deion has some choice,” while addressing the CBS issue. But Sharpe also knows Deion needs to prove everyone wrong on the field. Well, he’s trying to be a good friend while also giving Deion some tough love. Will Deion take Sharpe’s advice to heart?