The Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed the 2025 NFL draft by adding a player who could add depth at one of their weakest positions and brings with him a wealth of experience and Pro Football Hall of Fame pedigree.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported the Buccaneers signed University of Colorado safety Shilo Sanders as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the draft on April 26.
“Former Colorado safety Shilo Sanders is signing with the #Bucs, per me and (Ian Rapoport),” Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “So Shedeur Sanders and his brother both land in the NFL on the same day after playing for their father Deion in Boulder.”
Shilo Sanders actually steps into a situation where the Buccaneers need help at safety and he could contribute on special teams. Tampa Bay drafted 2 defensive backs in 2025 with Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second round (No. 53 overall) and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third round (No. 84 overall), but both are cornerbacks.
‘Tampa, HERE COMES THE BOOM,” Colorado’s official football account posted on X. ” “Safety Shilo Sanders has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Shilo Sanders’ father, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders also announced his son’s UDFA contract with the Buccaneers on a live Twitch stream as Shilo Sanders danced in the background.
Sanders Family Became NFL Draft’s Biggest Storyline
While Sanders’ signing with the Bucs doesn’t amount to much more than a blip on the NFL radar — outside of his family name — the Sanders family was at the heart of the biggest NFL draft story in at least a decade.
That came as a result of Shilo Sanders’ younger brother, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, dropping from a projected first round pick all the way to the fifth round, where he was selected with the No. 144 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns.
Shilo Sanders was right next to his younger brother throughout the 3-day wait for his name to be called — the single most stunning free fall in NFL draft history.
“It is 100 percent the main conversation about this draft, to this point,” NFL Network’s Rich Eisen said after the end of the third round. “It is all anyone is talking about.”
Shedeur Sanders, the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was projected as high as No. 3 overall to the New York Giants, where he would have been in line for a 4-year, $45.1 million contract. The contract for the No. 144 overall pick is set at 4 years, $4.64 million.
Shilo Sanders Played 6 Seasons for 3 Different Teams
Shilo Sanders’ had a sprawling college career that saw him play for 3 teams over 6 seasons — 2 years at each stop.
He played his first 2 seasons at the University of South Carolina in 2019 and 2020, then transferred to play for Jackson State after his father was hired as the head coach, then followed Deion Sanders to the University of Colorado when he became their head coach before the 2023 season. Shilo Sanders impressed at Colorado’s Pro Day, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.
Off-field issues may have cost Shilo Sanders his chance at being drafted. In 2022, he was found liable at trial for $11.89 million in damages stemming from the assault on a high school security officer in Texas in 2016.
Sanders filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, claiming $11.3 million in liabilities, including the ruling over the assault.
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