After receiving plenty of attention throughout the pre-draft process, Shilo Sanders ultimately went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On Saturday afternoon, he stated on a livestream that he had to fire his father-turned-agent, Deion Sanders, because things weren’t working out. While it initially seemed like a joke, it turns out there was some truth to his comment: Sanders actually hired a new agent over the weekend, and it paid off, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed the safety as an undrafted free agent following the draft.
Shilo Sanders Fires Dad Deion Sanders as His Agent, Hires New Representation
Coach Prime’s son decided not to let his father call the shots anymore as his pseudo-agent.
“Dad was our agent, but that hasn’t been working out too good, so today I had to sign with an agent,” Sanders said, laughing during his Twitch livestream on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, with Deion and his brother, Shedeur, also present.
The laugh led fans to believe it was just Shilo teasing his father. However, there was some truth to this, as Shilo actually hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent over the weekend.
Rosenhaus officially welcomed Shilo into their agency family via social media on Saturday afternoon. After joining Rosenhaus Sports, Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey negotiated Shilo’s UDFA contract with the Buccaneers.
— Drew Rosenhaus (@DrewJRosenhaus) April 27, 2025
The Colorado safety was always considered a fringe draft pick, so it wasn’t a surprise that he went undrafted, especially after seeing how the NFL treated his brother, Shedeur, who slid to the fifth round before being selected by the Cleveland Browns.
Now, Shilo will enter the NFL with a chip on his shoulder after going undrafted, and he’ll try to earn a roster spot on Todd Bowles’ defense.
MORE: NFL UDFA Tracker 2025: Latest Undrafted Free Agent Signings
Landing in Tampa Bay is an incredible opportunity for Sanders, though, as the Bucs could use some safety depth behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback-to-safety-convert Tykee Smith. Bowles is a former safety who is known for developing young defensive backs, so it seems Shilo will be in good hands.
Would Shilo Have Been Drafted With an Agent?
Sanders signing a contract right after hiring proper representation naturally begs the question: would he have been drafted if he had hired an agent sooner?
It seems unlikely.
Shilo is 25 years old, so he’s older than many of his peers in the draft, and he isn’t a perfect prospect. He has significant collegiate experience, a high football IQ, and solid athletic ability for the safety position, while also being an effective coverage defender with a penchant for forcing fumbles. However, he could improve his form and physicality as a tackler as well as his ability at the catch point.
Also, he has some off-field red flags that may have scared teams off. Shilo’s involvement in an assault lawsuit and the fact that he declared bankruptcy may have hurt his stock, not to mention that he could be seen as a distraction given his fame and Hall-of-Fame father.
With that said, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio argues that both Sanders brothers should have hired proper representation at the start of the pre-draft process.
“In hindsight, both could have benefited from hiring an agent. For Shedeur, it would have meant having someone to push back against the drip, drip, drip of negativity that started at the Scouting Combine and continued through the draft.
“During Shedeur’s slide, an agent could have been burning up the phone lines to say whatever needed to be said to get him drafted earlier, with a contract that would have paid much more, along with a draft-pick investment that would have secured his spot on the 53-man roster.”
Florio adds that “it could be wise” for Shedeur to hire an agent now, “whether it’s Rosenhaus or someone else.”
While it’s impossible to say whether things would’ve played out differently if the brothers had proper representation during the pre-draft process, Shilo clearly felt that hiring an agent could help him navigate UDFA negotiations, and it seems he was right.