The Bucs cut safety Shilo Sanders on Sunday, the day following his ejection from Tampa Bay’s 2025 preseason finale against Buffalo. Sanders was a long shot to make the team, but hurt his chances of even making the practice squad with the second quarter exit on Saturday night.
On Tuesday at his press conference as Colorado’s head coach, Deion Sanders, Shilo’s father, weighed in on his son’s dismissal from Tampa Bay. Shilo Sanders had signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado.
When asked if he had talked with Sanders about being cut from the Buccaneers, Coach Prime said he had and discussed Shilo’s release.
“Oh most definitely – he’s my son,” Sanders said. “I’m proud of my kids – all of them. And I prepared my kids for anything and everything that could possibly happen in life and in sports. That’s part of fathering. That’s part of parenting. That’s part of having a relationship. So he is mentally where he needs to be, physically where he needs to be. We are praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team. But if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forth to what he’s going to do next.
“Shilo is a man of many talents. I don’t know if you – Shilo is a man of many talents. He’s going to be straight. All of the Sanders are going to be straight – with or without football. You better believe that. You better believe that. I take care of mine – and I always have. And you all know what I mean.”
Bucs S Shilo Sanders Photo by: Matt Matera/PR
What Deion Sanders is referring to is his son’s massive social media following as an influencer with 60,000 followers on X, 203,000 subscribers on YouTube and 1.2 million followers on Instagram.
Deion Sanders came to Tampa to visit Shilo on the first day of Buccaneers training camp this year prior to the start of the Buffaloes’ training camp in Boulder, Colorado. After his first preseason game, Shilo gave his mother his game-worn jersey.
Shilo Sanders’ Time With The Bucs Was Brief, But Fun
Not many knew what to expect when the Buccaneers signed Shilo Sanders as an undrafted free agent safety, but he took Tampa Bay by storm over the spring and summer. With an ever-present smile and positive attitude, Sanders quickly won over his teammates, the media and the Bucs fan base. Despite his status as a backup and a long shot to make the roster, Sanders was certainly one of the more popular players in training camp.
Part of the reason why is that he is the son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and the older brother of former Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders, who was drafted in the fifth round by Cleveland.
The 25-year old Shilo Sanders signed with Tampa Bay after going overlooked in the draft despite a productive college career at South Carolina, Jackson State, and Colorado. As training camp and the preseason unfolded, the spotlight followed Sanders. Fans flocked for autographs, children sprinted with him on the field, and club personnel had to accommodate the buzz, which was a rare spotlight for an undrafted rookie to be in. His play was solid enough that analysts projected him as a potential practice squad candidate at worst.
Bucs S Shilo Sanders – Photo by: USA Today
That optimism, however, was short-lived.
During the Buccaneers’ final preseason game against the visiting Buffalo Bills, Sanders was ejected in the second quarter after throwing a punch at tight end Zach Davidson – an act stemming from frustration and flagged as unnecessary roughness. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles condemned the act outright, calling it “inexcusable” in the NFL.
Sanders had missed some tackles in the preseason and failed to record many big plays. He needed to play all four quarters on Saturday night and do something positive to catch the coaches’ eyes. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened and Sanders was ejected before halftime. The team made him one of the team’s first roster cuts on Sunday. That underscored just how thin the margin for error is for undrafted rookies competing for roster spots.
Sanders’ abrupt ending in Tampa Bay has fueled debate among fans, with some suggesting he had done enough to earn a spot on the practice squad. But despite being one of the most well-liked players on the team, the Buccaneers just didn’t like Sanders’ play enough to keep him.