Deion Sanders, the 57-year-old charismatic coach known for his prominent public presence and active engagement on social media, has been staying at his Texas estate while addressing this previously unknown health concern. This isn’t Sanders’ first encounter with health challenges. In 2022, he had two toes on his left foot amputated due to blood clots from a previous surgery. He spent 23 painful days in the hospital, most of it in the ICU, and drastically lost weight while he was there. Reports suggest the situation was so bad at one point that physicians considered amputating his leg below the knee.

And in 2023, he underwent a procedure to treat persistent blood clots in his legs. This time, world-class orthopedic and vascular surgeons collaborated to drain clots from his upper thigh and groin and to realign his remaining toes to minimize pain and enhance mobility. Sanders, still a competitor, made a personal challenge of running out of the tunnel with his team ahead of the season opener. Currently, his health issue has kept him away from the university’s summer football camps in Boulder. Sanders admitted that he’s staying away from the spotlight due to his health concerns. The university’s athletics website still features Sanders alongside the scheduled camp dates, which include events on June 3 and 5, as well as youth football camps set for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

He missed those events and postponed his speaking engagement at the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research annual symposium on June 8, where he was set to speak as the keynote speaker. Deion Sanders Jr., his eldest son, took to YouTube on Sunday to share, “He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he’s going through, what he went through,” Deion Jr. said, according to USA Today. “When we get back to Boulder, I don’t know. I’m waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I’ll go. Until then, I’m going to sit here with him.” The younger Sanders is sticking by his father’s side, making it clear he’s not heading back to Boulder without him.

So, for the time being, the Buffaloes are operating their summer camps without their head coach, and the prognosis for his return is unknown. The Sanders family is playing it close to the chest, but the word from Texas is that Coach Prime is “feeling well”—even if he’s not quite ready to plunge back into the Colorado football typhoon just yet. Fans are left waiting for the day when Deion finally breaks his silence with something positive and his usual characteristic confidence.

Deion Sanders’ pain goes beyond physical agony

Deion Sanders was caught up in a whirlwind of emotions this spring all because of the crazy rumors circulating his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, on the eve of the NFL Draft. as Shedeur, the Colorado star quarterback, and Shilo, his defensive back brother, prepared for the draft, rumors and speculation began circulating regarding their futures. Some of it was innocuous, but much of it was downright idiotic—hype about their draft position, their prospects for the pros, and even speculation about whether they’d sign at all.

For Deion, who has always been ultra-guarded with his boys, it was hard to accept. “You have no idea, man,” Deion said. “And stop lying. My kids are built for everything. We had two TV shows. … we’ve always been in front of the camera, so they know how to navigate. They know how to handle themselves. You’re not gonna catch them in no foolery or no mess. They’re not gonna do that whatsoever.” He didn’t mince words describing just how much the rumors affected him. “It’s foolish,” he said on Asante Samuel’s podcast, shaking his head at the speed at which people made assumptions. Deion is well-versed in the game, and he knows how the draft process can get into a player’s head.

But when it’s your children in the crosshairs, it’s different. He confessed that the commotion reached him, not only as a coach, but even as a father who wishes the best for his sons. What hurt the most was the timing. Shedeur, who has been nothing but dynamic at Colorado, had to endure all this hype at a time when he was trying to concentrate on his game and his future. Shilo also had to block out the distractions. But, with both his sons off to a promising start in the NFL, fans wish a speedy recovery for Coach Prime’s physical and emotional toil.