The focus of the NFL world has been on Shedeur Sanders and his dramatic fall in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, another Sanders brother is also entering his rookie season in the league, his elder brother, Shilo Sanders.
The safety signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of free agency and was given a three-year contract. However, according to NFL legend and Buccaneers all-time great, Rondé Barber, he doesn’t yet see what makes the elder Sanders brother so special.
Rondé Barber Isn’t Buying the Shilo Sanders Hype
Barber had a 16-year career in the NFL, spending every season as a part of the Tampa Bay organization. Over that time, he put together a resume unlike any other, cementing himself as one of the best cornerbacks in league history.
A Super Bowl winner, a five-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, Barber was excellent for the entirety of his tenure, even earning a spot on the 2000s All-Decade Team. Post retirement, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Now hosting his own podcast, “The Rondé Barber Show,” he broke down the incoming class of rookies for the Buccaneers and spoke about Sanders specifically, whose position he has a specialty in. However, his comments weren’t all that favorable for the 25-year-old.
“We wouldn’t be talking about his necessarily if he wasn’t a Sanders, right? He started 21 games, I think, in college. I think he had one interception, one sack. He wasn’t very, very productive.” Continuing, he laid on the criticism even more.
“He’s got a competitive DB room. It’ll be interesting to see what this dude looks like when he finally gets here. Because I don’t really have a take on him. I didn’t see him play a lot, and it’s not like you would watch in Colorado looking for highlights of Shilo Sanders.”
However, he does want the team to give him a chance for one simple reason. “Does that mean he’s not a player? I mean, his last name is Sanders. We know how good his dad was. Dad’s the best corner in the history of football. So, I’ll be paying a close eye on him, as will, I think, a lot of people.”
For many, the intangibles of the elder Sanders already make him a positive addition to the locker room. But if he wants to build out a longer career on the gridiron, the production needs to come sooner rather than later.