The Sanders family name is already making headlines across the NFL, but not for the same reasons. While Shedeur Sanders has grabbed most of the spotlight ahead of his rookie year, his brother Shilo is quietly fighting for his own chance in the league. The 25-year-old safety landed in Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent, trying to carve out a spot on the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, his opportunity came under the bright lights in Week 2 of the preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although Shilo didn’t touch the field in the first half, he got his chance in the third quarter. With the Buccaneers’ secondary dealing with injuries, the opening was there for him to make a statement. For a player fighting from the bottom of the depth chart, these are the exact moments that can make or break a career.
However, things took a wrong turn almost immediately. On one of his early snaps, Shilo misfired on a key play. As Bucs insider JC Allen put it bluntly on X, “Bad missed tackle by Shilo Sanders. Vildor there to clean it up.” And just like that, the momentum he desperately needed slipped away. For a young safety fighting to stay relevant, mistakes like these raise red flags.
After that shaky start, Shilo never really found his rhythm. He wrapped up the night with just two solo tackles and failed to produce any highlight-worthy moments in Tampa Bay’s 17-14 win. While the Buccaneers got the result they wanted, Shilo didn’t deliver the performance he needed. According to The US Sun, Shilo is sitting as the team’s fourth-string safety.
Bad missed tackle by Shilo Sanders. Vildor there to clean it up
— JC Allen (@JCAllenNFL) August 17, 2025
Pewter Report’s latest roster projection has Tampa Bay carrying five safeties into the season—J.J. Roberts, Kaevon Merriwether, Christian Izien, Tykee Smith, and of course Antoine Winfield Jr. Shilo’s name? Left off the list. Still, with the Bucs’ secondary nursing injuries, there’s a faint window of hope.
Shilo Sanders’ NFL dream is still alive
To begin with, Shilo Sanders has taken quite a winding path to get here. From South Carolina State to Jackson State and then Colorado, he kept chasing the chance to prove himself before entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Though he went undrafted, Tampa Bay picked him up as a free agent, giving him one more shot to fight for a roster spot. And with recent setbacks in the Buccaneers’ secondary, Fox NFL Insider Greg Auman pointed out on X that Shilo’s window of opportunity has opened a little wider.
On X, Auman wrote, “With Bucs waiving Marcus Banks with an injury and putting J.J. Roberts on injured reserve, that’s two less backup safeties competing with rookie Shilo Sanders for spots on the 53. Still competing with Merriweather, Wisdom for fourth safety spot.” That update keeps Shilo in the conversation, even if the climb is steep.
However, despite today’s forgettable performance, his flashes of potential in previous games have not gone unnoticed. Head coach Todd Bowles, after Tampa Bay’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans, spoke candidly about Shilo’s performance. “Shilo played tough,” Bowles said. “I thought he went in and did a heck of a job. He had some good tackles inside, and he had pressure on the quarterback as well. He did some good coverage things, he did a good job when he was in there.”
However, the pressure is squarely on him heading into the last preseason game. The elder Sanders brother knows it’s now or never to show he belongs in pewter and red. With one more chance left, it’s up to Shilo to put his best foot forward and convince the Bucs he can be an asset when the regular season begins.
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