Deion Sanders Faces Fan Backlash Over Brian Howell Book Exchange And $50,000 Claim

Deion Sanders faces fan criticism following his exchange with Colorado reporter Brian Howell© X/@Complex

Deion Sanders' exchange with Colorado reporter Brian Howell has drawn criticism from fans, with some questioning the Buffaloes coach's reaction to the reporter's book and others bringing up the disputed $50,000 claim. Sanders had challenged Howell for writing a book about his coaching career without informing him, while dismissing the story about paying critics to stop discussing him as a joke.

Fans question Deion Sanders' reaction to Brian Howell book

Deion Sanders is facing questions after Pro Football Talk reported on X a claim by Colorado insider Christopher Neely, known as “Uncle Neely,” that the Buffaloes coach had offered critics $50,000 to stop mentioning him for a year. 

Colorado insider "Uncle Neely," who has served as Deion Sanders's videographer, claims that Sanders has offered critics $50,000 to not talk about him for a year. https://t.co/MJ0vGoJCLN

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 27, 2026

Neely, who has served as Sanders' personal videographer, made the claim while discussing how people profit from talking about the coach. Sanders said on October 27 that the offer had been a joke and called the claim a lie.

One fan brought up Mike Florio's previous support for Sanders as an NFL head coaching candidate before criticizing his coverage.

 “Remember when Florio was demanding that an NFL team hire Sanders as head coach? Now he publishes this. The man is such a fraud,” the fan wrote.

The reaction came after Sanders' exchange with Howell, who wrote Prime Time Legacy: Deion Sanders's Rise to Coaching Major College Football. The 270-page book is scheduled for release on November 3. Sanders said he had not known about the project and argued that Howell should have told him.

Howell responded off-mic that he had tried to reach Sanders, creating a disagreement over whether the coach had been accessible. Some questioned about the attention surrounding the $50,000 story was shifting focus away from Sanders' coaching record.

 “I'll give it to them, they found the biggest dip shit in the world to take heat off Deion,” the X user tweeted.

A few responded to the alleged payment offer with a sarcastic tone. “Can I get in on this offer? I won't tell anybody else that Deion sucks as a coach and a person,” the fan wrote. The $50,000 claim originated from Sanders' May appearance on Thee Pregame Show, where he spoke hypothetically about paying people to stop using his name and image.

Deion Sanders rejects the $50,000 claim

Sanders rejected the suggestion that he had made a genuine offer to pay critics $50,000 to stop mentioning him for a year.  Neely later replayed the original footage and acknowledged that Sanders had been joking to make a point about people profiting from his name.

The disagreement unfolded during a difficult stretch for Colorado.

The Buffaloes fell to 2-5 after losing five straight games, including a 57-24 defeat to Oklahoma State on October 24. Sanders now has to prepare his team for Kansas State while dealing with questions about his coaching and his relationship with the media.