The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived Shilo Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, after signing him as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the regular season less than a week away, has the young safety found a new team? Here’s the latest on Sanders’ NFL journey.
Has Shilo Sanders Found a New NFL Team?
Coming out of Colorado, where he played for his dad, Deion Sanders, Shilo Sanders had relatively low draft hype. As a 25-year-old rookie with limited athletic upside, he was a long shot to make an NFL roster.
He showed promise during training camp with the Buccaneers, who were thin at safety. However, after throwing a punch and being ejected in Tampa Bay’s final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, the team ultimately decided to waive him.
Buccaneers rookie DB Shilo Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch at Bills TE Zach Davidson. pic.twitter.com/OY7vSA8u3x
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
Making a roster as an undrafted free agent is incredibly challenging. While being waived was undoubtedly disappointing, Deion expressed his support, saying his son would be fine with or without football.
“So, he is mentally where he needs to be, physically where he needs to be. We’re praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team,” Coach Prime said. “But if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forward to what he’s going to do next.”
After being waived by the Buccaneers, Sanders cleared waivers and is now a free agent. A team is unlikely to take a chance on him unless serious injuries hit their safety depth, though he could still be signed to a team’s practice squad before the regular season begins.
Prime’s sons haven’t exactly received a warm welcome in the NFL, with the family seemingly facing skepticism throughout Shilo’s and his brother Shedeur’s first NFL training camps and preseasons. Shedeur Sanders, a rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, has been battling for the starting spot all offseason.
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Even former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown threw shade at the Sanders, predicting that both Shilo and Shedeur would be cut from the league.
Despite the outside noise, though, both of Coach Prime’s sons have worked hard to make it in the NFL, and with the drive instilled by Deion, there’s a real chance that Shilo’s career isn’t over.
Sports Illustrated‘s Grant Cohn believes that the 49ers should give Shilo a call due to the team’s lack of talent at safety. San Francisco could be a potential landing spot for the UDFA ahead of the regular season.
It’s still unclear whether Shilo will find a home in the NFL. Given his low cost, there’s a chance a team will give him a shot and silence his critics. Even if he doesn’t, it’s clear his family supports him and that he’ll succeed, whether or not it’s on the football field.
