NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Deion Sanders, Ben Johnson, Ron Rivera amid HC Searches

In true Deion Sanders fashion, the current head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes and Pro Football Hall of Famer remains in the headlines amid NFL coaching vacancies and the potential that he makes the jump this offseason.

The former game-changing cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys recently had discussions with Jerry Jones about the vacancy with "America's Team," but is he really considering leaving his current situation for the uncertainty of coaching the pro game?

That topic headlines this collection of insider reports featuring an update on the Chicago Bears gig and the latest Super Bowl head coach to interview for the Las Vegas Raiders job.

Latest on Deion Sanders Amid Cowboys Rumors

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 28: Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders talks to Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) and Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) before the football game between BYU Cougars and Colorado Buffalos on December 28, 2024, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After engaging in initial conversations with Jerry Jones over the Dallas Cowboys head coaching vacancy, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders reportedly asked the school's athletic director, Rick George, to secure more NIL money for the program, Jane Slater of NFL Network reported.

The report begs the question: did Sanders hope to leverage the Cowboys opening into securing more NIL money from Colorado or was it simply a reaction to the meeting with Jones?

Perhaps more importantly, could Colorado's resistance to Sanders' request possibly affect his decision to choose whether to stay with the program he has helped build into a destination for top recruits or head to Dallas to continue his natural coaching progression?

With his son, Shadeur, poised to be a potential top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he may very well be more inclined to make the jump to the league in which he won two Super Bowl titles and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.

He could just as easily stay in Colorado and continue to build his legacy in the college game, where his development of young players saw him coach Travis Hunter to a Heisman Trophy win this past season.

Regardless, this will probably not be the last report involving Sanders in which he weighs his options by seeing which situation will give him the most to work with moving forward.

Chicago Job a "Two-Horse Race"

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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 05: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears looks on during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 05, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. A dismal rookie season followed, with his head coach and offensive coordinator fired and a league-leading 68 sacks.

For the former USC superstar to attain the level of play most expected from him, the organization's hiring of its next head coach is key. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Fox Sports' The Herd with Colin Cowherd that the Bears job is a "two-horse race" between former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

McCarthy has experience developing a young quarterback into an MVP-caliber player. He did just that during his stint in Green Bay, where Aaron Rodgers took over for Brett Favre, and won three MVP awards and a Super Bowl title under him. Dak Prescott had his two finest seasons to date with McCarthy at the helm of the Cowboys.

Johnson is intriguing because he is an unproven head coach but has been key to the Detroit Lions' success over the last three seasons. His offense rejuvenated Jared Goff's career and made stars of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, all while fueling what has appeared, at times, to be the most dominant team in the sport.

What he could do to help develop Williams, mostly by playing to his strengths as a play-caller, would be a world of difference for a young quarterback who was often shoe-horned into a system that did not work for him and more importantly, was left running for his life behind an offensive line leakier than a sieve.

Either candidate would be a strong hire for a Bears team perpetually looking for a spark to lead it back to relevance, into the championship hunt, and, more importantly, a quarterback with the raw tools to get it there.

Update on Raiders Head Coaching Search

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 22: Former head coach of the Carolina Panthers Ron Rivera looks on prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images)

The search for the next coach in Las Vegas continued Friday, with Senior NFL Reporter Albert Breer reporting the team hosted Ron Rivera for an interview.

Rivera tallied a winning record during his nine years in Carolina, appearing in the playoffs four times and competing in Super Bowl XL against the Denver Broncos, the eventual world champions.

Fired after a 5-7 start to the 2019 season, he would bounce back quickly with a head coaching opportunity in Washington but failed to recapture the magic in the nation's capital, going 26-40 with one postseason appearance.

The Raiders are in a worse place than the Commanders were when he arrived, begging the question: if he was not able to turn that organization around and make it an annual playoff contender, what does Las Vegas think he will be able to do with its current roster in the shape that it is?

Rivera has proven to be a leader of men but questionable personnel decisions, especially in Washington at the all-important quarterback position, proved to be his undoing.

Given all the Raiders' struggles under center in recent seasons, one would imagine the organization would look for an offensive-minded head coach who can get their man and develop him into a star, not a defense-oriented one.