It is Time for Deion Sanders to Let His Jaguars Beef Go

Deion Sanders has once again called out the Jacksonville Jaguars for how they operated with Travis Hunter.

Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has never made it a secret how he feels about the Jacksonville Jaguars since they drafted Travis Hunter, and he has spoken up once more.

Talking about both Hunter and his son Shedeur Sanders, Sanders told Garrett Bush on The Barbershop podcast, "That wasn't asked of me a year ago. I don't understand it. Even a guy like Travis Hunter being drafted to Jacksonville and I've had him for the last three [years], don't you think you would want to talk to me to ask me what gets him going and what backs him off? You would want to know that."

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

This is not the first time Sanders has criticized the Jaguars' brass for not communicating with him about how he utilized Hunter at Colorado and Jackson State. But with Hunter now entering year two, it is time for Sanders to let his beef with the Jaguars go.

Sanders' Beef

It is to an extent understandable why Sanders feels this way, not only about Hunter but also about his son with the Cleveland Browns. Sanders has long had a close connection with Hunter, as evidenced by the fact that he was able to recruit Hunter to Jackson State and Hunter then followed him to Colorado.

Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is congratulated for his touchdown by head coach Deion Sanders in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Hunter had an all-time college career, and won the Heisman Trophy in his final collegiate season under Sanders and his staff. Naturally, Sanders knew how to get the best out of him. 

But the NFL in college will always be separated. Even in the days of college football czars like Nick Saban, NFL teams teams were not constantly calling Sabin and asking him how to best deploy their freshly drafted Crimson Tide players. Was there some consultant? Absolutely. And it appears that a large part of Sanders’ issue is that there has been zero communication from the Jaguars, not that a small amount of communication has not been enough. 

Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

But at the end of the day, NFL teams are going to do what NFL teams believe is best, regardless of how the player's college career went, and regardless of what his college coaches believe. Hunter thrived under Sanders at Colorado, but how much does that really matter to the Jaguars’ purposes? The Jaguars have had their own plan for Hunter mapped out since drafting him, and that is what they must work off — not what Sanders did.

The simple reality is that NFL practices in the NFL season and overall culture is structured extremely differently from the college scene. Sanders knows this as a player, but his focus now is coaching at the college level.

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders hugs wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) following a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There is little value to knowing what Hunter’s practice routines were like at Colorado because he is simply in a different world now. While information is good information, especially when it comes to Hunter and his rare skill set, it feels appropriate to say the Jaguars simply need to be allowed to do what they best for the No. 2 overall selection.

The Jaguars are fresh off a 13-4 season and an AFC south title. While Hunter only played in seven games due to an injury, he still made a unique impact on both sides of the ball and was trending upward after his first 100 yard game as a receiver right before his injury. It is far too early to judge the Jaguars’ plans and deployments of Hunter, and the best Sanders and the rest of the football world can really do is to wait and see what happens.

Sanders has been an important figure in Hunter’s career, and that should never change. But Hunter is no longer his player. He is a Jacksonville Jaguar, and as long as that is the case, the Jaguars are going to operate their own way with their own process. The Jaguars have clearly accepted this to be the case, and now this time for Sanders to do the same.