Could Deion Sanders return to the NFL as head coach of the New Orleans Saints? Crazier things have happened, but Sanders leaving the Colorado Buffaloes and continuing to coach his son would be an unprecedented move. Shedeur Sanders is a top-flight quarterback prospect who has also been linked to the Saints in evened days.
But if we’re evaluating the elder Sanders’ candidacy on its own merits, there’s a lot to like. He went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player. As a college coach, he dominated the competition at Jackson State before moving to Colorado, where he’s gone 13-11 with nine wins in 2024. A jump to the NFL wouldn’t be shocking.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints are one of the teams that may be on his radar:
A few weeks ago, we broke down Deion Sanders’ NFL outlook. I’m bumping this again because a league source told me this about Sanders in recent days: “I think [NFL] teams will want to hear what he has to say.” So it wouldn’t shock to see the Jets or Saints or a team casting a wide net to at least reach out or do its research on him.
Now, that’s highly speculative, and it’s hardly the same as saying Sanders already plans on leaving Boulder for New Orleans. And just because there may be some interest it doesn’t mean that would be a two-way street. At this point Sanders should be busy recruiting and reloading his roster after a solid season ended with a Heisman Trophy in his protege Travis Hunter’s hands.
But the Saints need a coach after firing Dennis Allen, and they may need a quarterback if their next decision-maker doesn’t plan on staying the course with Derek Carr. The Saints could have a shot at filling both vacancies with Sanders family stars if they hold onto a top-10 draft pick. But there are three weeks left in the regular season, and things could change rapidly. Stay tuned in case the clock in New Orleans reads Prime Time.