Deion Sanders Offers Health Update Amid Spring Practice

However, his mobility has been improving as of late as he progresses in his health journey. As a result, Sanders believes his impact in his coaching role is felt more than ever, and that the on-field results this season will represent that.

“I’m energized to do what I know we’re capable of doing, and that’s winning,” Sanders said. “I mean ‘winning winning’, not just winning…not just getting bowl eligible but winning winning.” 

But Sanders also believes the journey to recovery itself is beneficial in its own way.

“I love the moments, and I love the journey,” Sanders said. “That’s what I’m more in love with than anything…A lot of people just like to get to the end and see how it turned out, and reap the fruit that they worked for…I like the journey, I like to go through the journey.”

Coach Prime and the 2025 Buffs

Colorado finished its 2025 campaign with just three wins, as little went the Buffs’ way during the season.

One of the main contributors to those struggles was the lack of production from Colorado’s 2025 transfer portal class. Sanders said candidly that the Buffs ‘missed’ on many of their portal additions, something certainly not helped by his health struggles.

Sanders missed much of 2025’s preseason training camp battling bladder cancer, leaving him out of the picture for the development of his newcomers.

When he did return, he required further surgery on blood clots in his left leg in October. While the Buffaloes picked up a win over Iowa State that same week, it ended up being their final win of the season. 

Sanders’s Health Journey Last Fall

During the Buffs’ subsequent struggles, Sanders’ mobility was heavily limited as he recovered from his surgery. 

Sanders clarified that the clots are a hereditary issue, and there was nothing he could have done to limit their impact or prevent them altogether.

"I've got a lot of well-wishes of people talking about, 'You need to slow down,'" said Sanders prior to his October surgery. "It has nothing to do with me working at the level that I'm trying to compete at. It's hereditary. It is what it is. It's nothing that I could have done to stop what's transpiring, nothing that I could take, or something that I'm just not abiding by. It is what it is."

But the reinvigorated energy Sanders has been feeling as he’s gotten further along in his recovery from the surgery can now be translated into spring practice and preseason training camp after the offseason.

For Sanders and Buffs fans alike, an improvement in his development of new players to the team would be a sight for sore eyes this season. This positive update on his health journey, and how it has empowered his coaching, is certainly a good sign that said improvement could come to fruition in 2026.