Michael Irvin was one of the front-runners who advocated replacing Mike McCarthy with Deion Sanders as the Dallas Cowboys head coach in 2024. After a disastrous 7-10 season, the Cowboys fired McCarthy on Sunday. Hours later, in a major move, Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders engaged in a productive discussion, sparking speculation about a potential union.
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Meanwhile, Michael Irvin, speaking on SPEAK, highlighted that “good conversations are being held” between Jerry and Deion. He shared details of a phone call he had with Deion Sanders on Tuesday morning:
“When I talked to Deion this morning, he said to me, ‘No, it’s not— I can tell you we did talk about these things, but Michael, that’s it. We can’t go any further with that.’ I was like, ‘No, no, no, I got a big mouth, I won’t go too far with it, but I appreciate you telling me that. Because that means good conversations are being held. Not just a conversation—good conversations are being held. And I want to shade you up and mix those conversations, keep them going, if you know what I mean.’”
Irvin was particularly pleased that conversations were taking shape. However, it is true that unless Jerry Jones drafts Shedeur Sanders, there’s no realistic possibility of getting Deion back to America’s team. But Irvin highlighted why Deion is essential for the Cowboys.
“You have to consider this. If you’re not considering him, you’re not doing your job completely. And Jerry, when you think about what Deion did at the HBCU level, what Deion did at Colorado—think about what they were before he got there and what they are now. Who wouldn’t want that in their organization?” Irvin concluded.
While Deion was part of the Cowboys as a player in the 90s, his commitment to the Colorado Buffaloes, with a five-year, $29.5 million contract, could pose a barrier. But, the loophole the Cowboys could target is the $8 million buyout clause set by Colorado.
At present, Deion is engaging with the new group of Colorado Buffaloes players, following the departure of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. In order to bring Deion to the Cowboys, Jerry would need to offer him a deal no less than $100 million for a five-year period, as this pay range has become the new standard for top head coaches.
