How ‘bout them Cowboys? America’s team have hit a wall. They perhaps now suit the moniker of America’s fiasco. With turmoil from the top down, there are wholesale changes lined up in Dallas. Jerry Jones knew he would likely be on the lookout for a new coach at the end of the season when he kept Mike McCarthy on the leash of a one-year deal. However, the process has been expedited. This is owing to some poor roster planning, a non-existent running game and a touch of misfortune with injuries. Jerry’s options have largely boiled down to two completely contrasting figures.

Deion Sanders has been a revelation up in Boulder, Colorado. Typically, a program that ended its season 1-11 will be lost in the abyss without much hype or fanfare. However, Coach Prime resonates with anything but typical. Within 2 seasons, he has turned the Buffaloes into playoff contenders. From somebody with no NFL coaching experience to someone with an exorbitant amount. Bill Belichick is the other coach in contention for the job. As if these two were even comparable entities, one expert suggested Belichick is the ideal candidate.

During ESPN’s First Take, the panel discussed which coach would be a more suitable successor to McCarthy. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo said, “I think Belichick is the perfect guy”. Now, Mad Dog’s word is far from gospel. However, he raised some very astute points. “Bill likes Jerry Jones, which is interesting. That’s number one. Number two, [Mike] Zimmer’s there…I’m sure Belichick likes Zimmer because of the coaching staff situation. Three, he’s only 15 wins away from [overtaking Don] Shula. Jerry’s 82, he’s not going to be here forever”.

The morbid final pointer still holds true and is perhaps most important in what appeals to Belichick. His tenure in New England really fizzled towards the end once Tom Brady departed. With GMs now moving towards younger coaches, there might be no more offers on the table. In the former category, Deion Sanders’ fits the “bill”. In fact, the aforementioned Mike Zimmer, now Cowboys’ DC, was on Coach Prime’s staff last season.

Apart from his coaching credentials, Prime brings a persona that goes right into the Cowboys’ wheelhouse. A Super Bowl winner in Dallas, he also demands the respect of players because of who he was as one. Whether Jerry decides to hire Deion, it is still not a given that he will be successful at luring him. There are many facets at play.

Deion Sanders’ road to the Lone Star State isn’t quite linear

Of all the decisions Jerry Jones made in the preseason, the most abiding one was the very last one. Dak Prescott’s unprecedented contract may be a hurdle in Deion Sanders’s pathway. Shedeur Sanders is in line to be the top quarterback off the board for 2025. If Prime indeed makes the leap into the pros alongside, why wouldn’t he want to join the team that drafts his son? Deion has coached Shedeur along every level of football.

Cowboys legend Micheal Irvin was asked if he thinks Deion would follow suit if Jerry Jones drafted Shedeur. “I believe 100% and I can tell you, good sources have told me that…great sources have told me that. That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.” 

With how the Cowboys’ season is panning out, a high lottery pick may well ensue. So, does Jerry bite the proverbial bullet on Dak’s contract, which is the biggest in NFL history? It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds. Bill Belichick remains an adept alternative.