Deion Sanders has decided to end his contract with the NFL Network.  He isn’t giving up on football, though, and is set to Barstool Sports instead.  Sanders is a big character for the NFL; his contributions have left a significant mark on football at all levels.

He spent the last 14 years as a football analyst with the NFL Network and, before that, this 53-year-old guy had dedicated another 14 years as an NFL player, winning two Super Bowl rings and also a great deal of awards for his extraordinary on-field skills. His talent as a player and analyst.  Barstool Sports scored a touchdown with this acquisition.

Sanders Goes Where The Money Is

The NFL Network stated that it couldn’t keep Sanders any longer due to financial difficulties despite his wonderful knowledge in sports and his fanbase.  In this case, both parties agreed to end the working relationship after being unable to reach a deal on terms for a new contract.  Sanders had the possibility to leave and retire, but he wants to keep using his talent for the benefit of the sports industry – he still has so much to offer.

Due to different reasons, the NFL Network had hinted that the Hall of Famer’s time with the organization was coming to an end when it chose to cancel his 21^st And Prime show last year.  That decision was crucial for the channel to reduce expenses, save some money.  After that move, it was very evident that there would be no salary increase.  Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the NFL Network was looking at ways to cut costs, and Sanders’ participation became one of the targets for elimination.

While Sanders worked as an analyst, he was also serving as the offensive coordinator at the school his sons attend, Trinity Christian School.  He might have looked for a coaching position there, given that he has often expressed an interest in coaching.  Previously, he tried to become a coach at Florida State University, his alma mater, but wasn’t able to secure a spot.  The news of his quitting the NFL Network spread rumors that he might once again make another attempt, but that will no longer be the case.

Barstool Sports Gets A Superstar

Yesterday, Barstool Sports made an announcement in which it said that it was able to start doing business with Sanders and that it was making him part of its team.  This company has different podcasts and programs like “Pardon My Take” as part of its programming, and the Apple Podcasts offering stated on Twitter that Sanders would be coming on board.  A tweet by the show’s Twitter account simply read, “HUGE announcement & interview with our new coworker @DeionSanders…” It would seem that having one of the most influential names in football would have deserved a larger welcome, but not in this case.

Better days are coming for Sanders because he will be able to have his former show on Apple Podcasts, and 21^st And Prime will be back on air.  Furthermore, he will show up on videos and the program “Pardon My Take” on Sunday nights during the upcoming NFL 2020 season.  It is not clear yet how much money Sanders will get for his new position with Barstool, but his salary won’t be a cheap one.  Barstool has the money to pay someone like Sanders after it was sold to Penn National Gaming earlier this year for about $450 million.

This isn’t the first time that Barstool Sports has tried to recruit a big name in sports, and the previous attempts didn’t go too well.  It hired Pat McAfee three years ago after he retired specifically for a position with the sports media company, but soon after had a falling out with the brass.  Barstool tried again with Michael Rapaport later, and that didn’t go well, either.  Rapaport ended up suing the company for the way he was treated.  With a little luck, maybe Barstool has mended its ways and will treat Sanders like the star he is.