Deion Sanders NFL Contracts: A Look Back

Well, let me tell you about this fella, Deion Sanders. Folks call him “Prime Time,” ya know? He was one heck of a football player, fast as a rabbit and could catch a ball like nobody’s business. Now, we’re gonna talk about his money, them NFL contracts he signed. Big money, I tell ya, big money.

First off, lemme say, I don’t know nothin’ about all them fancy numbers and legal stuff. But I heard tell that Deion, he made a whole heap of cash playin’ football. They say he signed some big, lucrative contracts back in the day. That means he got paid a whole lot, more than most folks ever see in their whole lives.

One time, I heard on the radio, must’ve been back in the 90s, they was talkin’ ’bout Deion signin’ with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, them Cowboys, they always been a big deal, always spendin’ money like it grows on trees. So, Deion, he goes and signs this contract, seven years, they said. Seven years! And for 35 million dollars! Can you believe that? 35 million! Why, with that kinda money, you could buy the whole dang town, I reckon.

And that ain’t all. They said he got a “sign-on bonus,” somethin’ like 13 million dollars just for sayin’ he’d play for ’em. Thirteen million dollars! Just for signin’ your name! Heavens to Betsy, that’s more money than I ever seen in my life. I remember thinkin’, “That boy must be livin’ high on the hog.”

• Dallas Cowboys Contract: 7 years, $35 million, $13 million signing bonus

Now, that was a long time ago, back in 1995, they tell me. Things was different back then, money wasn’t worth quite as much as it is now, or maybe it was worth more, I don’t rightly remember. But 35 million dollars, that was a lot of money, no matter how you slice it. Folks was jawin’ about it for weeks. They said he was the highest-paid somethin’ or other, a “defensive player,” I think they called it. Means he was good at stoppin’ the other team from scorin’, I guess.

Deion, he played for a bunch of different teams, you know. He wasn’t one to stick around in one place for too long. He played for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys, like I said, and even the Washington Redskins. And every time he went to a new team, you can bet your bottom dollar he was gettin’ paid good. These teams, they wanted Deion, they needed him, so they was willin’ to shell out the big bucks.

Now, they talkin’ ’bout Deion again these days, ’cause he’s coachin’ college football now. Coachin’! Can you believe it? And they say he’s gettin’ paid good for that too. Seems like that fella just knows how to make money, no matter what he’s doin’. But this coachin’ contract, that’s a whole ‘nother story. It ain’t NFL money, but it’s still a pretty penny, I hear.

They say he signed a five-year deal, somethin’ like 29 million to coach at Colorado. Now, that sounds like a lot of money, and it is, but some folks say he’s still underpaid considerin’ how famous he is and all. They say the school even had to go around beggin’ for money from rich folks to pay him. Imagine that! Havin’ to beg for money to pay a football coach!

• Colorado Coaching Contract: 5 years, $29.2 million

But that’s just how it is with these big-time sports folks. They make more money in a year than most of us make in a lifetime. And Deion, he was one of the best, so he got paid like it. From them big NFL contracts to his coachin’ salary, that man’s always been bringin’ home the bacon.

So, there you have it. A little bit about Deion Sanders and his money. Like I said, I don’t know all the details, but I know he made a whole heck of a lot. And that’s all there is to it. He played good, and he got paid good. That’s the American dream, ain’t it?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on my chickens. They’re probably squawkin’ their heads off by now. And them eggs ain’t gonna gather themselves, you know.