A report came out Saturday that NFL Hall of Famer and current University of Colorado coach Deion Sanders is interested in the head coaching vacancy for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders are currently in search of their next head coach. They recently fired Antonio Pierce, who had the job in a full-time role for one year before he was let go. Now, with an opening for head coach, a report from Vinny Bosignore suggests that Deion Sanders has a “very strong interest’ in the Raiders job.
Deion Sanders has “very strong interest” in @Raiders head coaching job. My story on the Colorado coach having his eye on Las Vegas opening: https://t.co/eteHsmB0wW
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) January 11, 2025
Report: Deion Sanders Very Interested In Raiders Head Coaching Job
The report is fascinating because Sanders recently reiterated that he was happy coaching at Colorado. However, Sanders, also known as “Coach Prime,” often said that he would only consider an NFL job if he could coach his sons Shedeur Sanders and Shiloh Sanders. Shedeur is projected to be a top ten pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with the Raiders holding the number six pick in the draft, Deion might see it as a great opportunity to coach in the pros and also to coach his sons again. As far as Shedeur, the star quarterback has only ever been coached by his father from a kid to college and possibly the pros as well.
Coach Prime’s coaching in the pros has caught a lot of steam the past two months as Colorado enjoyed a resurgence of a season, going 9-4 and earning a bowl game appearance. It was reported that the Dallas Cowboys might have an opening at the head coaching position, and when asked if he would take the job if the Cowboys drafted Shedeur, Deion told people close to him that he would. Coach Prime won a Super Bowl with Dallas in 1996.
One interesting nugget about the Raiders opening is that Tom Brady is a part owner of the Raiders, and it has been said that he will be involved in the head coaching search. Why does that matter as it pertains to Deion? Well, Brady has a relationship with Shedeur and has been a known mentor to the Colorado quarterback. It has been speculated that the Raiders will take a quarterback with their first-round pick, so are Brady and the Raiders organization possibly wanting to draft Shedeur, enticing Deion to be interested in the Raiders? That certainly looks like that could be the case.
The Raiders have a lot of blue-chip talent already and have just been void of a capable quarterback. In the 2024 draft, they took tight end Brock Bowers, who became a pro bowler and a first-team All-Pro as a rookie. They also have a Pro Bowl and All-Pro on the defensive side in edge rusher Maxx Crosby. It is easy to see why coaching the Raiders seems like a good deal.
Being in the AFC West division, the Raiders must swing for the fences at head coach if they want to stay competitive in the division. The Denver Broncos have Sean Payton as coach, while the Kansas City Chiefs have Andy Reid, and the Los Angeles Chargers have Jim Harbaugh. Each coach is as big of a name as it gets in the NFL, so the Raiders must match the star power at coach in the division. All three teams have made the playoffs this season, while the Raiders will be picking in the top ten of the NFL Draft.
Deion’s transition to the NFL as a coach should be seamless if, for no other reason, he is one of the best to ever play in the NFL. He knows how the NFL works and the inter-workings of NFL locker rooms and front offices.
Main Image: © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
