5th and final year of contract. Seven guaranteed games remaining to help fix the Cowboys team. And Jerry Jones just biding time with a lost cause of a season with a coaching staff sitting out as lame ducks. That’s the reality for the entire coaching staff. But then there are rumors. Rumor that Deion Sanders — whose team is just two wins away from landing in the Big 12 Conference championship game, a massive improvement from a disappointing 2023 season — is currently being poached as an HC candidate for the Cowboys for the next season.

Ahead of his next away game against Kansas, Coach Prime had made it pretty clear at his weekly press conference: “I’m happy where I am, man. I’m good. I’ve got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? A lot of people in here are not of age, they don’t know what a kickstand is. It means I’m resting, I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m enthusiastic about where I am.” 

Lest we forget, Deion wouldn’t part ways from his son, Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders, if they were to play the pro league together. Franchise veteran Michael Irvin went as far as saying Deion would “100 percent” say yes to the job if Dallas picked his son next year. The likelihood of the Cowboys picking Shedeur is far from guaranteed after giving their current franchise QB, Dak Prescott, a four-year, $240 million extension just a couple of months ago. Regardless, seven teams are currently in a far worse state and will be on a hunt for a franchise QB. However, none of these matters unless we hear from Jerry Jones. And the Shadow Commissioner has spoken at last!

Talking on 105.3 The Fan on Thursday, Jones seemingly poured cold water on Coach Prime joining the Cowboys next season: “I think we’re way ahead of ourselves relative to when and if he decides to go into coaching in the NFL. 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. All of that would go into your mind. But make no mistake about it, he’s one of the top people, young and old, that I’ve been around in the NFL,” Jones said. Remember when, despite strong criticisms that assumed Mike McCarthy (45-32) would be fired after last year’s home playoff loss to Green Bay that dropped him to 1-3 in the postseason for the Cowboys, nothing really materialized?

Last season the Buffs finished with a marginally improved but overall disappointing 4-8 record. But this time, they sit 8-2 and tied for first in the Big 12. They have a clear shot at winning the Conference and qualifying for the College Football Playoff, which will only enhance Sanders’ stock. Meanwhile, Bill Belichick, the legendary Patriots coach, has also been linked with the Cowboys. His relationship with Jerry Jones is a reason why many believe, he might be the favorite.

If this wasn’t enough, Sanders’s recent moves at Colorado, suggest he is building for the future, landing top recruits like Julian Lewis and eyeing more.

Deion Sanders’ recruiting moves spell trouble for the Cowboys’ coaching dream

Deion Sanders is making waves in college football, and the ripples are being felt all the way to Dallas. The Cowboys, drowning at 3-7 and gearing up for sweeping offseason changes, were eyeing “Prime Time” as a potential savior. But Sanders seems laser-focused on a different mission—building a powerhouse in Colorado.

In a move that spells bad news for those hoping to see Sanders in Dallas, Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 class, who recently flipped from USC, committed to the Buffs, and it doesn’t stop there. Carde Smith, a four-star offensive lineman, is also reportedly heading to Boulder after withdrawing his pledge to USC. Sanders isn’t just flipping recruits; he’s flipping the narrative.

Next up, Sanders is eyeing linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and edge rusher London Merritt. “Coach Prime is changing the game,” one source close to the program said. For the Cowboys, this raises an uncomfortable question: can they lure Sanders away from a college program on the brink of greatness? With his son Shedeur and Travis Hunter likely heading to the NFL, many thought Deion might follow. But his recent recruiting wins suggest he’s staying put, leaving the Cowboys to wonder if their dream pick is already off the table.