Former Colorado Buffaloes standout Shedeur Sanders isn’t the only member of the well-known Sanders family trying to earn an NFL roster spot for this season. His brother Shilo Sanders is attempting to do the same.
Shilo, a safety who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, hasn’t received anywhere close to the hype that his brother has. But he’s been trying to prove his worth and earn a spot on the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.
But what are the chances of his ultimately landing a roster spot? That remains up in the air.
A Look at Shilo Sanders’ Chances To Make the Bucs’ Roster
Fox NFL Insider Greg Auman, who covers the Buccaneers, recently posted an update to his X account indicating that Sanders’ chances of earning a roster spot are still alive, especially after the injuries to Marcus Banks and J.J. Roberts, which resulted in the former getting waived and the latter getting placed on the injured reserve.
“With Bucs waiving Marcus Banks with an injury and putting J.J. Roberts on injured reserve, that’s two less backup safeties competing with rookie Shilo Sanders for spots on the 53,” he wrote on X. “Still competing with Merriweather, Wisdom for fourth safety spot.”
With Bucs waiving Marcus Banks with an injury and putting J.J. Roberts on injured reserve, that’s two less backup safeties competing with rookie Shilo Sanders for spots on the 53. Still competing with Merriweather, Wisdom for fourth safety spot.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 16, 2025
The performance of Sanders so far in pre-season play has caught the attention of head coach Todd Bowles, who acknowledged the positive things he did in Tampa Bay’s recent game against the Tennessee Titans.
“Shilo played tough,” Bowles said. “I thought he went in and did a heck of a job. He had some good tackles inside, and he had pressure on the quarterback as well. He did some good coverage things. He did a good job when he was in there.”
The elder Sanders brother is going to have his work cut out for him as he attempts to secure a roster spot with the Buccaneers. He has two more games to try to convince the coaching staff that he can be an asset to the organization.
Sanders played at South Carolina State, Jackson State, and Colorado before being signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers have two preseason games remaining, starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, August 16, followed by their final tune-up against the Buffalo Bills. They will begin the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons. It will be up to Sanders to put his best foot forward during that stretch.
