Robert Griffin III says possible Mike McCarthy replacement is a ‘culture changer’
Less than 24 hours after failing to reach the NFC Championship Game despite a 12-5 season for the third straight year, many are calling for the Dallas Cowboys to fire head coach Mike McCarthy.
Count ex-Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III among them. The former Pro Bowl QB-turned-NFL analyst posted a video to his X account Sunday night not only calling for McCarthy’s job but suggesting that the perfect replacement for the Cowboys is at the University of Colorado.
“I know who (the Cowboys) need: (they) need coach Prime (Deion Sanders),” Griffin III said . “Coach Prime knows how to win in Dallas, he knows what it takes to have a championship mindset. He knows how to hold his guys accountable and he is a culture changer. … No coach will make Jerry Jones more money than coach Prime. Deion Sanders will have the Dallas Cowboys high-stepping towards a Lombardi (trophy) in no time.”
Despite Sanders’ insistence on having zero desire to leave college to coach in the NFL, the 56-year-old is a logical hire from the Cowboys’ perspective. As a player, Sanders was a star cornerback for Dallas from 1995 to 1999, totaling 159 tackles and 14 interceptions in 63 games with four All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl championship.
Though he’s only four years into his coaching career, plenty have taken notice of Sanders' progress. He turned around a Jackson State program that went 4-8 the year before he got there and won 27 games (including a combined 23-3 record in 2021 and 2022) with two bowl appearances in two-plus seasons.
In his first year at Colorado, Sanders led the Buffaloes, who went 1-11 the previous year, to wins in their first three games and a No. 18 ranking in the AP polls before finishing the year 4-8. Despite losing eight of his last nine games, Sanders compiled the No. 4-ranked transfer portal class, adding 22 players including six former four-star recruits.
His ability to build two programs from the ground up, plus the number of connections he has with some of the top players in college football is why Griffin III believes he would be a home-run hire for the Cowboys.
“Coach Prime is also going to bring you your quarterback of the future,” Griffin III added. “Yeah, that’s right — Shedeur Sanders. I’m a Dak guy; I love his game and I think the Cowboys can win a Super Bowl with him. But if coach Prime becomes the head coach, you better believe he’s going to go get his son to come with him.”
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