Deion Sanders has signed a new contract with the University of Colorado, and everyone was asking the same question when news of the deal surfaced: What’s the buyout?
Sanders has agreed to a new 5-year, $54 million deal with Colorado. He is now one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football.
While the new contract if proof that Sanders was telling the truth when he said Boulder is the only place he wants to be, it is unlikely to scare NFL teams away.
According to a breakdown that was provided by Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera, Sanders would owe Colorado $12 million if he leaves for another collegiate job or a professional job before Dec. 31, 2025. The buyout figure drops to $10 million at the start of 2026, $6 million at the start of 2027, $4 million at the start of 2028 and $3 million at the start of 2029.
It is highly unlikely that Sanders will leave Colorado before the end of 2025. Even if he were to take an NFL job, it would be at some point in early 2026. That means his buyout is effectively $10 million and decreases each year from there.
While that is a significant amount of money, it is not nearly enough to scare NFL teams off. Any team that had serious interest in Sanders would likely have no problem paying an additional $10 million to sign him, let alone $6 million and so on.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached out to Sanders in January after the team fired Mike McCarthy. Sanders confirmed that the two had a conversation and did not directly shoot down the possibility of coaching his former team. He may have simply used the interest from Jones as leverage in negotiations with Colorado.
In any event, Sanders insists he is committed to the Buffaloes. His new contract reflects that, but don’t expect it to deter NFL teams next year or beyond.
