With college athletes earning record-breaking NIL deals, former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders offered a blunt warning about the mindset shift of young athletes that could hurt their long-term football career.

During the 308th episode of Million Dollaz Worth of Game on January 13, 2025, Sanders shared a sharp piece of advice regarding the NIL era of college football in a conversation with hosts Gillie and Wallo.

“The first mistake that they make is - you want to go chase a bag instead of chase the game,” Sanders said during an episode of the Million Dollaz Worth of Game. “Chase the game. The game got the bag. Don't chase the bag - the bag ain't got the game...And they chasing the wrong thing.”

Sanders said that the young athletes are making a fundamental mistake in chasing behind immediate Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals rather than focusing on football development.

For instance, players at key positions at top colleges can earn an average between $75,000 and $800,000 in NIL dollars annually, according to Paul Mueller of Fast Company.

“I'd rather chase a place that's going to give me the game,” Sanders said during an episode of the Million Dollaz Worth of Game on January 13, 2025. “That's going to teach me how to be a man. It's going to teach me about this money. That's going to hold me accountable and make sure I'm disciplined, not just the bag...You’re chasing NIL instead of the NFL."

Sanders believes that "chasing the game" leads to greatness, as he has landed two consecutive Super Bowl titles in 1994 and 1995 with the San Francisco 49ers and the Cowboys, respectively.

His Super Bowl runs landed him a record-breaking seven-year, $35M deal ($12.99M signing bonus) with the Cowboys on September 9, 1995, making him the highest-paid defensive player of that era.

While Sanders' message is backed by his own career growth, where he built a Hall of Fame resume that eventually led to financial rewards, he is set to enter his fourth season as the head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.

ESPN analyst delivers brutal verdict on Colorado's 2026 playoff hopes

ESPN analyst Heather Dinich believes that the Buffaloes would not reach the Big 12 or a playoff, as they finished with a 3-9 record in 2025.

“Absolutely not,” Dinich said during an episode of ESPN's Get Up on July 9 (YouTube @espncollegefootball). “Not only not a playoff push, but not a Big 12 push…The top of this conference is going to be super exciting…There’s a lot of teams that can really challenge Texas Tech for the Big 12 title. Colorado’s not one of them. I expect them to be one of the lowest teams in the Big 12.”

She believes that Colorado could struggle again this season, despite the changes to the roster made during the offseason.

Though she acknowledges the positive shift in the team after the roster overhaul, she believes that the Buffaloes still have concerns in the quarterback position.

Is Deion Sanders right about the biggest mistake college athletes are making in the NIL era? Let us know below.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi