If Deion Sanders decides to leave the Colorado Buffaloes for the Dallas Cowboys’ vacant head coaching job, a possibility that many deem unlikely, his contract buyout won’t come cheap.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would have to fork over $8 million to the University of Colorado.

Before Jan. 1, Coach Prime’s buyout was $10 million (h/t USA TODAY Sports). Sanders’ buyout decreases to $5 million in 2026 before falling to $2 million in 2027.

Colorado signed Sanders to a five-year, $29.5 million contract in December 2022. Coach Prime’s base salary was $5.7 million this past year (not including bonuses), and he will make $5.9 million in 2025.

Those buyout numbers won’t come into play if Sanders stays at Colorado for his third season leading the Buffs, who are losing quarterback Shedeur Sanders, recent Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and likely others to the NFL. Coach Prime has made clear that he’d only consider leaving Colorado for the NFL if paired with his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders.

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