Deion Sanders clarifies joke about silencing critics with money (1:00)

Associated Press

Oct 27, 2026, 02:32 PM ET

Deion Sanders on Tuesday downplayed comments from a person close to him who suggested the Colorado coach was willing to pay $50,000 to silence his critics.

"That was a joke," Sanders told reporters.

Christopher Neely, a YouTube content creator known as "Uncle Neely" who has been with Sanders since he coached Jackson State, found himself in the spotlight for a comment he recently made on a roundtable internet program.

"For the most part, the people that attack him wouldn't be making the money they were making if he wasn't here to attack," Neely said in the video. "Which is why he told some of them, 'Hey man, let's just do this. I give you $50,000 to not mention my name for a year.' And ain't nobody took the deal yet."

Sanders was confused Tuesday when he was asked about offering money to silence the criticism surrounding his program.…