Desmond Howard Makes Wild Prediction About Steve Sarkisian’s Future at Texas

Steve Sarkisian had to deal with rumors about his future with the Texas Longhorns hours before playing against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville last month.

Now, there's more outside noise about his role on the Forty Acres following the blowout loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

College football analyst and former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard said Monday on X that he believes the Texas job could open up at the end of the season, a statement that follows previous reports from The Athletic in October that claimed Sarkisian was "interested" in potential head coach openings in the NFL.

Desmond Howard: "Don't Be Surprised if Texas Job Opens Up"

"Don't be surprised if that Texas job opens up at the end of the season," Howard said on social media. "You guys were shocked when LSU opened up. Imagine how you're going to feel if that job in Austin pops open. I'm not calling or saying anyone's going to get fired, maybe a mutual parting of ways."

Howard, who has never claimed to be a college football insider or a reporter of any kind, is delivering some highly-volatile news seemingly out of nowhere.

Howard made sure to emphasize that Sarkisian leaving Texas wouldn't be the result of a firing, meaning he's simply just following up on the same trail that led to The Athletic's controversial report a few weeks ago.

The NFL rumors surrounding Sarkisian have already been shut down by his agents, Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz at CAA, followed by Sark delivering his own, frustration-filled comments on the situation.

Happy Monday AM! A lil sumthin sumthin you can only get here.#justmythoughts pic.twitter.com/sXy9neKUhD
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) November 17, 2025

Steve Sarkisian Frustrated With NFL Rumors

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After the win over Mississippi State, Sarkisian made his frustrations about the NFL rumors very clear. It's likely he feels the same way about Howard's comments.

"It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that in turn, the entire media, sports world runs with as factual to the point that my agency and my agents have to put a statement out," Sarkisian said. "I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out, and the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media."

"I respect what you guys do, I really do, and everybody else, but the fact that everybody ran that as truth is really embarrassing," Sarkisian continued. "I've got a small circle when I make decisions on what I do and what I don't do, and nobody would speak on my behalf without me knowing."

Steve Sarkisian's Contract

It wouldn't make much sense for Sarkisian to suddenly drop everything and head to the NFL where he could potentially earn less than the $10.8 million he's making this season on a contract that's good through 2031.

In February, the University of Texas System board of regents approved a raise and contract extension for Sarkisian, giving him an annual raise of up to $12.3 million by the final year of his deal.

Sarkisian has prior NFL experience, previously as the quarterbacks coach of the then-Oakland Raiders in 2004 and then the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and '18.