There was no hotter sports talk show topic in January than Deion Sanders and the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys talked with Sanders for their open head coaching position and Sanders, at least at the time, called the opportunity “intriguing.”

But Sanders is speaking about coaching in the NFL in a much different way a month later, saying on his TV show, “We Got Time Today,” that he “couldn’t coach pro ball” while speaking with former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

“I couldn’t coach pro ball,” Sanders said on his show, per ESPN. “That’s why I say, I couldn’t coach — I know it was cute — but I couldn’t coach pro ball, because the way they practice, the way they go about it, I couldn’t take it. As a man, and as a football enthusiast, and I care about the game. The game is still providing for Troy and I, so there is no way I could allow that to happen on my watch. That would be tough.”

Sanders previously told “60 Minutes” in 2022 that he wouldn’t have interest in NFL head coaching jobs. Though, he told ABC earlier this year that he would consider the NFL if he had an opportunity to coach his sons.  

The Cowboys’ head coaching search proved to be a winding process with Sanders’ involvement being just one twist among many. Ultimately, Dallas opted to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach.

Sanders, 57, helped Colorado undergo a major turnaround in 2024 as the Buffaloes jumped from 4-8 to 9-4 in his second season as coach. Sanders took over Colorado in 2023, inheriting a team that won just a single game the season prior.

The NFL Hall of Fame cornerback is now 40-18 in his college head coaching career, which includes a three-year stint at Jackson State.

Colorado will look much different in 2025 with both star quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Deion’s son — and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter moving on to the NFL; both are projected as first-round picks. The Buffaloes will once again rely heavily on the transfer portal in reloading their roster. Colorado added 17 players from the portal during the winter window, including Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter.