Shilo Sanders, the brother of Shedeur Sanders, is done waiting. He spent the first half of the year preparing and waiting to join the NFL. Now, it’s time for him to prove he belongs. As an undrafted free agent, the safety faces a challenging road ahead..
However, at least one impression of his performance thus far at OTAs is positive. Here’s who Sanders is battling and how he has already attempted to set himself apart.
Who Shilo Sanders Is Competing With and How He’s Already Made an Effort No One Else Has
Speaking on a May 29 edition of Pewter Pulse, Reporter Scott Reynolds gave his impressions on Sanders’ performance at OTAs.
“Shilo Sanders has made a great first impression in Tampa Bay at the rookie mini camp,” Reynolds said.
“In some respects, [J.J.] Roberts might be a little ahead of Sanders in terms of the depth chart right now, but a lot can change, and it will change once training camp rolls around,” Reynolds added.
He later went on to laud Sanders’ awareness after he went out of his way to introduce himself to the media.
“It’s a smart move, introducing himself to the media that way. It shows great awareness, and it sets him apart from the other rookies, none of whom did what Sanders did.”
Of course, the flip side is that one could look at this in the opposite way. Sanders, coming from a family well known for their interactions with the media on big stages, was attracted to the cameras, even as a rookie fighting for a roster spot. Sanders also seemingly ranks behind Roberts, who is also an undrafted rookie fighting for a roster spot.
For all intents and purposes, it would be easy to argue that Sanders needs to focus on the field above all, or he could potentially meet a similar fate to his brother.
Sanders Family’s NFL Foothold Hanging by a Nail
Both Sanders brothers dreamed of breaking into the NFL through a red carpet. While both currently have teams to show up to every day, neither Shilo nor Shedeur has any guarantee beyond the summer.
As an undrafted free agent, Shilo could be released at any moment. It could be a bad practice or even a bad practice rep that could send him away. As a fifth-round pick for the Cleveland Browns, Shedeur seemingly has a bit more of a shield against a sudden release, but it isn’t impenetrable.
Plenty of fifth-round quarterbacks have been released in their first 12 months with a team. Sanders is no exception and would not be the first to suffer that fate. Even as Deion Sanders’ son, the Browns quarterback and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety, could theoretically end up on the market at the same time in the near future.
If that were to happen, both the safety and quarterback could still end up on the same team at some point, albeit under very different circumstances.