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Deion Sanders says reported $50,000 offer to critics was a joke

Colorado’s coach responded to a claim by longtime associate Christopher Neely that he had offered critics money to stop mentioning him for a year.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 27 Oct 2026, 21:23 GMT2 min read

Deion Sanders stands with U.S. Marines during a presentation in Boulder. — Deion Sanders stands with U.S. Marines during a leadership event in Boulder on January 24, 2024. File photograph. University of Colorado - Boulder football team works out like Marines (8216060) — U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Lydia Gordon (resized and converted to WebP). Public domain.Image source Image licence: Public domain

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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said on Tuesday, October 27, that a reported $50,000 offer to critics to stop mentioning him for a year was a joke. His response followed a claim by longtime associate Christopher Neely, according to The Big Lead and CBS Sports. The alleged offer has not been documented, and Neely did not identify the critics he said were approached.

Neely, known as ‘Uncle Neely’ and identified by The Big Lead as Sanders’s personal videographer, made the claim during an appearance on BuffBoys Live. CBS Sports quoted him saying Sanders had proposed paying some critics $50,000 to avoid mentioning his name for a year. Neely said no one had taken the purported deal, suggesting those critics made more money talking about Sanders.

What Sanders said about the $50,000 claim

Asked about Neely’s remarks, Sanders said, ‘That was a joke. Some people live on your name,’ according to CBS Sports. The Big Lead also quoted him telling reporters, ‘I would never offer a man money.’ The Big Lead reported that it had found no documentation showing Sanders offered or paid anyone $50,000. Neely’s account establishes what he alleged, while Sanders’s response establishes how he characterized the remark.

Colorado’s losing streak adds pressure

The exchange comes as Colorado has lost five straight games. CBS Sports reported that the Buffaloes were 2-5 overall and 0-3 in Big 12 play, with a 1-11 conference record across the previous two seasons. Sanders, once a major draw for attention around the program, is now facing questions amid its poor results.

After Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State, Sanders said he saw discipline in the program’s academics, punctuality, uniforms and conduct inside the building but struggled to explain why that did not carry onto the field at critical moments. ‘We’re so disciplined in this and that, and this and that, and every darn thing we do, but it seems like as soon as we go in the field, we’re not disciplined,’ CBS Sports quoted him as saying. Those results provide the setting for the renewed attention to his relationship with critics; they do not establish whether the alleged offer was made.