Grudges never die: Stephen Jones has ulterior motive to keep Cowboys and Deion Sanders apart

The Dallas Cowboys head coaching search is a dumpster fire. Yes, I said it. The current favorites to land the job are Kellen Moore and Brian Schottenheimer. What's in the water in Jerryworld?

Of course, prior to the Cowboys taking either of those coaches all too seriously, Jerry Jones contacted former Dallas star and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders about the opening. At the time, Sanders released a statement saying he was honored to receive the call from Jerry, but ultimately was happy in Boulder. He never specifically turned down the job, either in private with Jones or via statement.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Deion Sanders said Monday night. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Intriguing is Sanders word of choice this month, apparently. You know what else in intriguing? Sanders friends and family reportedly pressuring him to take the job. And even more intriguing is Stephen Jones apparently standing in the way of Sanders winning the Cowboys gig.

Stephen Jones could keep the Dallas Cowboys from hiring Deion Sanders

While the eldest Jones is most interested in Sanders, it's his son Stephen Jones who wants to hire Schottenheimer. This wouldn't be news – internal struggles for power are common in Dallas – but it involves Sanders, and isn't the first time Stephen Jones has tried to stop the former Cowboys star from the organization. In a resurfaced documentary clip, Stephen made it clear Jerry was the brains behind bringing Deion in as a player.

“I was our cap-ologist at the time. I was really the guy learning the cap. Had a really good feel for it. Jerry comes in there and he’s smiling ear to ear and he says, ‘Guess what?’ and I say, ‘What?” and he say, ‘Deion’s coming to Dallas.'” Stephen Jones said in the documentary. “And he goes, ‘It’s very simple. We give him a $13 million signing bonus and three years of minimum salaries,’ and I go, ‘That’s record-setting; that’s not going to sit well with our team,’ and I go, ‘We can’t do that,’ and he goes, ‘Well I already did it.'”

Of course, Sanders wearing the Cowboys star worked out the first time. Who's to say it wouldn't be a good pairing as a head coach?

Normally, I'd side with Stephen over Jerry here, as the elder Jones has suggested some truly dumb fixes in recent years. However, if Brian Schottenheimer is the other choice, I'd probably hire Coach Prime – and that is saying something.