Cowboys coach search: Adam Schefter adds fuel to Deion Sanders, Jerry Jones speculation

Hours after the Dallas Cowboys moved on from Mike McCarthy, Colorado‘s Deion Sanders was reported as a candidate to replace him. Sanders was a key figure for the Cowboys in 1995 when winning a Super Bowl, the second of his career. Most importantly, he still has a great relationship with owner/general manager Jerry Jones.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter added some fuel to the speculation surrounding Sanders and the Cowboys on Monday. Schefter revealed a former NFL general manager even called his shot around 2022, predicting Coach Prime would land in Dallas.

“They have spoken with amongst other candidates, Deion Sanders,” Schefter said at halftime of Lions-Vikings. “There is a mutual interest there. I go back to a year and a half ago when I had a former general manager say to me ‘Watch Deion Sanders. There’s a real possibility he may be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.’ Well, there is mutual interest. We’ll see if that amps up but the two sides have talked, have touched base.”

Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports was the one to originally report there have been conversations between Jones and Sanders. No formal interview has taken place, as of Monday night. Since Sanders is a college coach, there is no need for Dallas to put in a request.

Jerry Jones praised Deion Sanders in the past

Perhaps Sanders would make an exception for the Cowboys, who own the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and are unlikely to be in the Shedeur sweepstakes. Of course, there’s also Dak Prescott, locked into a long-term contract with the Cowboys. Whatever the case, Coach Prime answered the call. At the very least, he’s listening to what Jones has to sell.

We already know how Jones feels about Sanders.

“One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he almost has no peer as far as being a recruiter,” Jones said in November on 105.3 The Fan. “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.”

Soon, we’ll know how Sanders feels about the Cowboys and wearing the star once again — this time, as a coach.

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report