Deion Sanders Reacts To Maxx Crosby's Highest-Paid Non-Quarterback NFL Contract Extension

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders reacted to the Las Vegas Raiders making star defensive end Maxx Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with an annual salary of $35.5 million. Crosby's three-year contract extension is worth $106.5 million. The tweet is notable due to the connections between the Raiders and NFL Draft prospect quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

"Congratulations to my dear friend Maxx Crosby," Sanders wrote on Twitter/X. "Well deserved, certainly earned & I’m so darn proud of u. You play the game the way it’s supposed to be played."

Congratulations to my dear friend @CrosbyMaxx well deserved, certainly earned & I’m so darn proud of u. You play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. #CoachPrime
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 6, 2025

Now that the Raiders have solidified their excellent defense by retaining Crosby, Las Vegas looks to improve its offense to compete in the highly-talented AFC West division.

The Raiders are also looking to fill a void at quarterback for 2025 and Deion's son, former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sanders has been linked to the Raiders, who have the No. 6-overall selection in the draft. Does Las Vegas make sense for Sanders? One interesting connection is, Sanders has a relationship with NFL legend Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders.

“Tom Brady, he’s an all-time great,” Sanders said at the NFL Combine. “Being able to have that resource, being able to have that person I’m able to talk to and call whenever I’m having questions about the game, he’s able to relate to it, because he did it at the highest level. It’s truly amazing. I’m thankful for that.”

Deion Sanders with his sons Shedeur Sanders (left) and Deion Sanders Jr. (right) on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL — Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Deion Sanders (right) with his son Shedeur Sanders on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The connections continue.

New Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll is Crosby's fifth head coach in seven years as a Raider. At one point, before the Raiders hired Carroll, Crosby offered that the franchise to look at his friend and Pro Football Hall Of Fame cornerback, "Coach Prime" as a replacement option.

"On a personal level, I've known Deion, coach Prime, for a long time," Crosby said to reporters in January. "My brother was actually roommates with his son, so they go way back. I remember seeing Shedeur when he was a little kid when I was at their house in Texas. People don’t know that I’ve known them forever. So, I’m really close with Shedeur, Deion Jr. and his whole family. They’re great people. So yeah, if Deion Sanders was my coach, how could I be mad?"

Las Vegas instead hired NFL great Carroll and Sanders will again head up the Buffaloes in 2025 while he cheers on his son Shedeur in the pros... Maybe with the Raiders and Crosby.

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on before the game against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In 2024, Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record finishing with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. Sanders earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, an annual award given to the top college quarterback.

The Sanders family took the college football world by storm when Deion Sanders was hired by Colorado for the 2024 season. Sanders took over a team that finished 1–11 in the previous season, flipped the commitment of two-way star Travis Hunter to Colorado and finished the season 4–8. The flash of "Prime Time" and ever-present media attention, has prepared Shedeur Sanders for the bright lights of the NFL.

“You think I’m worried about what critics say or what people got to say?" Sanders said at the combine. "You know who my dad is? They hated on him too. So, without people hating, it’s not normal for us.”

Sanders will compete at Colorado's Pro Day in Boulder ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. The draft is April 24-26, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.