Update: Deion Sanders announced he has beaten bladder cancer and will return to coach the Colorado Buffaloes this season. Deion made the announcement during a press conference with his medical team on Monday, July 28.
The Colorado football head coach was expected to step down during today’s press conference. Instead, he announced he had his bladder removed after being diagnosed with a cancerous tumor.
Deion said he learned he had bladder cancer during a checkup earlier this year. He was briefly hospitalized in Texas.
In a video recorded in May, a gaunt Deion said he had to make out a will – presumably after he was diagnosed.
Coach Prime has removed his toes and had to learn how to walk and how to run again. Now he's removed his bladder and that is a major lifestyle change. He did this for his family but he did this for his team. A lot of people say they would die for you but that's just an… pic.twitter.com/tPLdI6NPGs
— NoSkoZone (@noskozone) July 28, 2025
Deion underwent surgery after his son Shedeur’s NFL draft day controversy.
“There was some scenes you saw, all the bull junk that’s transpired on draft day,” Sanders said on Monday.
“It wasn’t just that. It was just, I knew as well I had a surgery coming up. My sons, to this day, don’t know what transpired, I just told them it was something with my foot, because I wanted to give them the focus on making the team and not focused on dad.”
“Get checked out,” Deion urged his fans. “Because (this) could have been a whole (other) gathering if I hadn’t.”
Deion, 57, is expected to be in attendance when football practice begins this week in Boulder.
Rumors swirled about Deion’s health after he was reportedly hospitalized earlier this year. He was absent from Colorado’s spring and summer football camps while recovering at home in Texas.
Deion took questions from reporters during the Big 12 Media Day earlier this month.
“I’m already back,” he said to reporters on July 9 when asked if he was returning to CU. “I’m here today. I’m handling my responsibilities. So, I look forward to it. I can’t wait. You’ve got to understand, some of the young [players] I haven’t even met yet. I’m so excited about that.”
In a YouTube video posted by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., on July 20, Sanders said: “You know I’m still going through something… I ain’t all the way recovered.”
Since then, Sanders visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp where his son Shiloh Sanders is trying to make the team.
Sanders coached his sons Shedeur and Shiloh, and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at Colorado last season. But they have gone on to the NFL.
Skeptics say Sanders never intended to continue coaching at CU after his sons and Travis left.
Bro pulling an Urban Meyer now that his kids are gone
— Lou Sassle (@LouSassle716) July 27, 2025
Done in Colorado. Take the year, do tv. Wait for a big time job opening. Pretty simple.
— doseAGE (@BarksdaleMD) July 27, 2025
This is where he “steps away” from Colorado now that the kids are gone lol
— JM (@J__Mruk) July 27, 2025
