Deion Sanders has made a name for himself as Coach Prime in college football. As a standout cornerback in the NFL, he translated his on-field success into a post-pro career on the sideline calling plays and coaching players.
With winning records on the college teams he has led, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on him as a potential head coach.
Here’s how much Sanders is worth in 2025 and how he makes his money.
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Deion Sanders earned tens of millions of dollars as a professional football and baseball player. Now, as a coach, he still commands a high salary.
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What is Deion Sanders’ net worth in 2025?
Sanders has an estimated net worth of around $45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (a popular celebrity wealth site that does not disclose its exact estimation methodology) and other sources.
Much of his wealth comes from his earnings as a professional football and baseball player, although he still earns a substantial income from coaching at the college level.
Related: Jameis Winston’s net worth: The Heisman-winning Browns QB’s wealth & salary
Deion Sanders’ career earnings
Sanders earned $33.5 million throughout his 14-year career in the NFL, according to Spotrac, which tracks players’ salaries. Over the Cap, another salary tracker, put his NFL earnings even higher at $43.8 million. His most valuable contract as an NFL player was $25 million over five years with the Dallas Cowboys.
As a baseball player in the MLB, his earnings totaled $13 million, based on data compiled by the Baseball Cube, which collects baseball players’ statistics.
Who is Deion Sanders? Where is he from?
Deion Sanders was born on August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida. He said as a guest host on an episode of the Rich Eisen Show that the first name on his birth certificate is spelled Dion, but he decided to add the “e” to make it Deion, in a nod to the lyric E-I-E-I-O from the song “Old McDonald.”
Deion was nicknamed “Prime Time” in his teens. A friend of his bestowed this moniker after a high-scoring performance in a high school basketball game in a reference to Deion attracting a substantial audience during peak television-viewing hours at night.
Sanders’ Education
Sanders had been a multi-sport player since high school, where he played basketball and football.
At Florida State University, he was a three-sport player, participating in football, baseball, and track. Of the three, Sanders stood out in football as a cornerback, and he won the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back in 1988.
Dion Sanders, #21 of the Dallas Cowboys, played for 14 years in the NFL, with five of those (1995-99) with the Cowboys.
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Deion Sanders’ career in sports
Sanders’ career in sports has seen him excel in two different professional leagues before moving into commentary and coaching roles.
NFL
Sanders was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Early accolades included Pro Bowl nominations and having the most return kickoffs by yards.
Sanders played for a total of 14 seasons, with the Falcons and four other teams: The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. He played on two Super Bowl-winning teams: the 49ers (1994) and the Cowboys (1995). His most lucrative contract was with the Cowboys.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones paid top dollar for talent and exposure, and he was getting both with Sanders, who in 1995 signed on to a five-year, $25 million contract with a $13 million signing bonus — the highest-ever at the time.
Sanders’ relationship with Jones goes back to the days when the Cowboys last won a Super Bowl. Jones and Sanders reportedly discussed the vacant head coach position at Dallas at the end of the 2024 season, though Sanders has yet to express any interest — at least publicly — in taking the job.
MLB
In addition to his successful NFL career, Sanders also played outfield in Major League Baseball for 12 years — first with the New York Yankees, then with the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He’s been likened to another two-sport player of the time, Bo Jackson; the two even played against each other when they were both in the MLB.
As a two-sport player, Sanders achieved what no other has done — being on the active roster of two teams in different professional sports leagues in the same year. On October 11, 1992, he played a game with the Falcons and later in the day attended (but did not play in) a Braves playoff game.
Sanders holds the distinction of being the only professional athlete to play in both Super Bowl and World Series games. He retired from the NFL in 2006.
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NFL commentary
After his NFL career, Sanders worked on TV commentary on football games, including the CBS network’s “The NFL Today” pregame show from 2001 to 2003, and for the NFL Network.
Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Coaching
Sanders held different coaching positions at the high school level from 2012 to 2020, when he moved on to the college level and became head coach at Jackson State University, one of the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. His position helped to bring attention to Black football players at HBCUs, and the Tigers racked up an impressive 27-6 record during his three seasons there.
The University of Colorado, seeking to turn around its fortunes after going 1-11 in 2022, hired Sanders to a five-year, $29.5 million contract in 2023. Sanders overhauled the Buffaloes football program by bringing in his own staff and recruiting some players via the transfer portal. The Buffaloes went 4-8 in his first season and then 9-4 in 2024.
Saunders advocates for his student-athletes to get a good education off the football field because only a small percentage make it to the NFL. He said in a program showcased by ESPN College Football on YouTube that 90% to 95% of a college team’s roster won’t make it to the pro level.
Sanders’ popularity, combined with a winning record at Colorado, has produced a so-called “Prime Effect,” according to USA Today, which has also contributed to the school’s bottom line. Football ticket sales alone jumped from $16.6 million in 2022 to $31.2 million in 2024, according to Colorado’s NCAA Revenue and Expense Reports, helping it turn a revenue deficit into a surplus.
Related: Jerry Jones’s net worth: How the Cowboys owner made his money
Sponsorships
As an NFL player with widespread popularity in the U.S. and globally, Sanders has had major endorsements with big-name companies such as Nike, Pizza Hut, and PepsiCo.
As Coach Prime, he still commands a presence with endorsements, and he has appeared in commercials for insurer Aflac, fast-food chain Subway, and razor brand Gillette.
How does Deion Sanders spend his money?
Sanders spends much of his money on property, and his real estate portfolio includes homes in both Colorado and Texas. He was known during his NFL and MLB career for dressing with style and wearing expensive jewelry.
Nowadays as a coach, he dispenses advice to players on managing their finances responsibly.
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