The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a new head coach following the news that Mike McCarthy will be leaving the franchise, which has reignited the Deion Sanders rumors.
All signs pointed to the Cowboys and McCarthy working towards an extension after Jerry Jones spoke glowingly about his head coach in the final weeks of the season.
He did so despite Dallas missing the playoffs, which is why many were surprised to hear Jones announce on Monday that McCarthy would not be returning for a sixth season. As a result, rumors linking Sanders with the vacancy have once again emerged.
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“Sources: #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken with Colorado HC Deion Sanders about the team’s head coaching vacancy, and discussions are expected to continue regarding the possibility of him becoming the next head coach in Dallas,” Fox Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz wrote about the situation.
“Coach Prime is considered a top candidate, though the Cowboys plan to interview other candidates as part of the process, per team sources.”
By Monday night of the Vikings and Rams playoff game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on air that “there is a real possibility” that Sanders will become the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Is Sanders to Dallas happening?
While Sanders has ties to the Cowboys given he played for Dallas from 1995 to 1999, the fact his son Shedeur Sanders is also a potential No.1 overall pick at this year’s draft complicates matters.
The two were a package deal when Deion left Jackson State for Colorado, and some wonder if that might be a condition for Prime Time should he take over the Cowboys.
One big issue that would complicate that scenario is Dak Prescott’s contract. He still has three years left on a four-year, $240 million extension signed last offseason.
As a result, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell points out that should the Cowboys trade Prescott before June 1, Dallas would carry a $104.1 million dead cap hit – nearly double the NFL record for most dead money for a single player in a single year set by Broncos who had $53 million in dead money after trading Russell Wilson.
There is also the fact that Dallas would have to give up a boatload of assets to move up from No.12 to take Shedeur, leaving some fans wondering if all the talk of Deion taking over the Cowboys is just fantasy at this point.