Deion Sanders Discusses ‘New Normal’ After Bladder Cancer Treatment
Colorado coach says he uses a sideline portable bathroom and sometimes a catheter after surgery that created a new bladder from his intestines; doctors say he is cured.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders detailed adjustments to his daily routine on Wednesday as he described a “new normal” following treatment for bladder cancer, saying he sometimes uses a catheter and keeps a portable bathroom on the sideline during games.
Sanders, 58, spoke on the Sept. 10, 2025, installment of the Colorado Football Coaches Show with Mark Johnson, and reiterated details first disclosed over the summer that his bladder had been removed and a new bladder was constructed from intestinal tissue. In July, Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at the University of Colorado, said Sanders is “cured of cancer,” according to ESPN.
"You gotta make sure you empty the bladder," Sanders said on the show. "Sometimes, before the games, I use a catheter, so I can make sure my bladder’s empty so I don’t have to. Because when you feel it, you’ve got to use the bathroom or you start leaking. I’m sorry. But I’m getting explicit. But you start leaking. You gotta take care of it." He said he keeps a portable bathroom in the team box on the sideline.
Sanders said he is speaking openly about his experience to help others facing similar health challenges. "It’s amazing that everywhere I go, someone comes up to me and tells me about a family member or friend that has the exact same thing, and ‘Thank you for being vocal about it,' because they’re dealing with that right now," he said.
Sanders revealed the surgery in a July news conference at the University of Colorado. Team medical staff said the procedure involved removing the original bladder and forming a neobladder from intestinal tissue, a reconstruction that can require lifestyle adjustments. Kukreja’s July comments that Sanders was cured were cited by media outlets covering the coach’s return to the sideline.
He has resumed coaching in his third season at Colorado after leaving the NFL to take the job in 2023. The Buffaloes opened the 2025 season with a 27-20 loss to Georgia Tech on Aug. 29 and rebounded with a 31-7 win over Delaware last Saturday. Sanders faced criticism for time management in the Georgia Tech game, according to local coverage. Colorado is scheduled to visit the University of Houston on Friday.
Sanders’ family situation has remained in the public eye. His son Shedeur Sanders, 23, who played quarterback at Colorado for two seasons, was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Another son, safety Shilo Sanders, 25, went undrafted and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent; he was later released after an incident in the preseason finale.
Coaches and medical staff did not immediately provide additional comment beyond Sanders’ remarks on the radio show. Sanders said he will continue to be public about his experience in hopes of helping others who face similar surgeries and post-operative adjustments.