Deion Sanders Leaves NFL Network

Primetime’s time is done at NFL Network. Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has left NFL Network, per John Ourand. Sanders’ contract has expired and he has chosen to leave.

Sources: @DeionSanders is leaving NFL Network. His contract had expired, but he opted to leave.

— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) August 11, 2020

In his final moments at NFL Network, Deion Sanders did not hesitate to share his opinion on players who opted out of the 2020 NFL Season. Deion Sanders took to Twitter a couple of days ago to say this to all of the players who have decided to opt out:

All Players OPTING out in all sports PLEASE BELIEVE the game will go on without u. This is a business & don’t u EVER forget that. There’s NO ONE that’s bigger than the game itself. Only the ref,umps & officials are that important that u can’t play without them. NOT YOU! #Truth

All Players OPTING out in all sports PLEASE BELIEVE the game will go on without u. This is a business & don’t u EVER forget that. There’s NO ONE that’s bigger than the game itself. Only the ref,umps & officials are that important that u can’t play without them. NOT YOU! #Truth

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 7, 2020

You can have your own opinion on what Sanders said here, my opinion is he’s right to an extent and he is being insensitive to people who consider a greater picture. To his point that the game will go on with a few players opting out, yes the game will go on. The quality may dip depending on who opted out. If a starting offensive lineman opts out, the quarterback of that respective team needs to make a mental note of that and realize that his protection won’t be the same as it has always been. Yet if Patrick Mahomes opted out, the game would be greatly affected. If old greats like Drew Brees and Tom Brady opt out, that would create major waves. However, if a 3rd or 4th string rookie opts out, chances are he may not be missed that greatly. On the flip side, if hundreds of players opt out, then the game can’t go on. It is impossible to play a sport without players.

The NFL is a business but a player’s life and the lives of their loved ones take priority over the game. A newborn child takes priority over football, and older parents who may live with a player take priority over football. Players are so much more than NFL players, they are human beings who have multiple sides to consider. I’ve been on the record saying that Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a hero for opting out. While the game may go on without him, the quality of the game will decrease. The extent and how drastic that decrease is remains to be seen.

Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin opts out of 2020 NFL Season

It appears that Deion Sanders has chosen to leave NFL Network. It is unknown if any talk behind the scenes was involved. If there was behind-the-scenes talk, his take on players opting out could be the reason.