Deion Sanders had two toes on his left foot amputated due to severe blood clots that developed after a routine surgery to repair a dislocated toe and inflamed nerve in 2021. The blood clots led to poor circulation, causing complications including compartment syndrome, which forced surgeons to take urgent action to relieve pressure and save his leg. Despite multiple surgeries, his big toe and second toe turned gangrenous, necessitating amputation. Sanders faced the risk of even more extensive amputation but chose to have the toes removed rather than miss additional games while coaching. The condition was linked to a critical blood clot in a major artery in his leg, exacerbated by an underlying genetic predisposition to clotting and other factors like high cholesterol. He has undergone many surgeries since then and still faces ongoing circulation problems in his left foot.