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Super Bowl champion James Jones has issued a stark warning: if the University of Colorado fires head coach Deion Sanders, the football program would suffer a catastrophic roster collapse, losing 90 percent of its players. Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2012, believes such a move would send the Buffaloes spiraling back to mediocrity.
Jones didn't mince words when addressing fans calling for Sanders' job. "I HATE when people are not grateful. Before he got there, what were y'all? If you FIRE him, you gonna lose 90% of that team, and you are going to go back to being AWFUL," he said, per Yahoo Sports. His concern is backed by the numbers: since Sanders took over in 2023, Colorado has added approximately 169 transfers while about 167 players have departed. Most of those athletes were drawn to Boulder specifically to play for "Coach Prime," and Jones argues they would leave if he's dismissed.
Jones also highlighted the financial impact. The stadium was packed before Sanders arrived, but now it's filled because of him. Ticket sales have surged, and national attention is at an all-time high. All that excitement would evaporate if the coach is let go. Jones called it "the stupidest decision" to let Sanders go. Former NFL star LeSean McCoy shares that sentiment, urging fans to show grace and reminding them that Colorado was irrelevant before Sanders.
Key Analysis
The Buffaloes are currently struggling, having lost three straight games to fall to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play. Their latest defeat was a 29-7 home loss to No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday. Colorado led 7-3 at halftime but surrendered 26 unanswered points, committing four turnovers and missing two field goals. Sanders didn't shy away from the poor performance: "We've been horrible, don't sugarcoat it. Seven points? You're not gonna win. Not gonna win. Don't sugarcoat it no more. Just tell it what it is."
The offense ranks 124th nationally in scoring, and the quarterback situation is a mess. Two years ago, Colorado signed five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, expected to succeed Shedeur Sanders. However, Lewis was benched two weeks ago in a loss to Baylor and replaced by Isaac Wilson, who has thrown two touchdowns and three interceptions with a 56.3 completion percentage. Sanders was cryptic about the benching: "I'd love for Julian Lewis to come here and tell you what happened. I didn't bench him. It didn't happen like that. Julian Lewis didn't play, so I won't go there. I'm not going to say anything derogatory about the kid."
Even if fans want a change, Sanders' contract might prevent it. He signed a five-year, $54 million extension through 2029. If fired before the end of 2026, Colorado would owe him a buyout of $25.5 million, possibly up to $26.6 million if terminated without cause before December 31, 2026. Most analysts consider a midseason firing unlikely due to the cost. Athletic director Fernando Lovo holds the power, but Sports Illustrated speculates a mutual resignation after the season is more plausible.
The schedule doesn't get easier: Colorado faces No. 12 Utah next Saturday, then No. 18 Oklahoma State on Oct. 24. The program's history shows why the money matters. Sanders took over a 1-11 team in 2023 and turned it into a national story, going 4-8 that first year. In 2024, the wins matched the hype as Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy and Colorado finished 9-4. But after Shedeur Sanders and Hunter left for the NFL, the foundation crumbled, and the Buffs fell to 3-9 in 2025, losing seven of their final eight games.
Colorado's roster management has been the most active in college football, with an annual average of 42 transfer ins and 42 transfer outs over four years. That model worked with stars like Shedeur and Hunter, but without them, it's hard to sustain. Critics point to the quarterback carousel as proof: since Shedeur left, the Buffs have used three quarterbacks last year and two this year. Sanders admitted, "That's the position that's somewhat disabling us and disarming us. Somebody's got to step up and take hold of it and get it done."
Paul Finebaum, a prominent college football analyst, offered a grim assessment: "When the last image of a program's last breath is your quarterback in his own end zone throwing a pick six, it's over." He believes the move to Colorado was a mistake, too far from Sanders' core base. Despite the criticism, Sanders remains optimistic: "The score is not indicative of who these guys are and who we are." But fans are growing impatient, and the bye week provides a chance to fix issues before a tough test against Utah. As long as the contract stands, Sanders is likely to stay. James Jones summed it up: "People on TV talk about Colorado. Why is that? Deion Sanders, man. Coach Prime." He argued that no one else could do what Sanders has done for the kids and the university, and firing him could break the brand and lose the players—a risk the school might not be willing to take.
Originally reported by yahoo.