Cowboys Rumors: Some NFL Insiders Say Deion Sanders Buzz Is 'Not Real' amid HC Talks

Some people within the NFL are reportedly not convinced that the Dallas Cowboys have legitimate interest in making Deion Sanders their next head coach.

Speaking Friday on her Scoop City podcast (beginning at the 11:40 mark), Dianna Russini of The Athletic said there is a "camp" of people in the league who she has spoken to that have said they believe the Cowboys' overtures to Sanders are "not real."

Sanders, who is a former Cowboys superstar cornerback and the current head football coach at the University of Colorado, spoke to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the organization's head coaching vacancy on Monday, per Fox Sports (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer).

The 57-year-old Sanders confirmed the talks in a statement provided to ESPN's Adam Schefter, saying:

"To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it's intriguing. I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it's intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community."

Russini's sources referred to the discussions between Sanders and Jones as "flirting," and Russini went on to report that the Cowboys have been "scrambling" since Jones' original plan was to retain Mike McCarthy as head coach.

However, McCarthy's contract with the Cowboys expired last week, allowing him to take other head coaching interviews, and Jones announced this week that McCarthy is not returning as Dallas' head coach in 2025.

While Sanders is among the candidates to replace McCarthy, Russini named several other options on the Cowboys' radar, including former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Moore, who was a Cowboys quarterback from 2015 to 2017 and their OC from 2019 to 2022, may be Jones' preferred candidate, as Russini said "he's got his eyes on" Moore.

Sanders cannot be completely discounted as a possibility in Dallas, though, especially given his history with the franchise.

He spent five of his 14 NFL seasons as a player with the Cowboys, earning four Pro Bowl nods, three First Team All-Pro selections and one Super Bowl title during his tenure.

As great as Sanders was on the field, he has proved himself to be a competent coach as well, going 27-6 in three seasons at FCS Jackson State before taking the job at Colorado.

The Buffaloes went just 1-11 the year before Coach Prime arrived, but they improved to 4-8 in 2023 and then 9-4 in 2024.

Sanders also coached up his son, Shedeur Sanders, into perhaps being the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, and two-way superstar Travis Hunter into winning the Heisman Trophy and being only of the likely top picks in the draft.

Hiring Sanders would be a splashy move that would make headlines for the Cowboys, and it may be the type of outside-the-box move they need to get back to the top.

Dallas has not reached the Super Bowl or even an NFC Championship Game since Sanders played for the team in 1995, and it is coming off a hugely disappointing 7-10 season on the heels of three straight playoff appearances.

There is a great deal of pressure on the Cowboys to get their next head coaching hire right, and while Sanders may have the highest ceiling of any candidate, he would also represent a huge risk since he has no prior NFL coaching experience.