In a draft class that saw Cam Ward go first overall and Jaxson Dart sneak into the first round, Shedeur Sanders—the strongly predicted QB2 in the draft class—sat through three painful days before the Browns scooped him in Round 5. Or to put it in perspective, 144th overall pick. Meanwhile, big brother Shilo didn’t hear his name called at all. Undrafted. Forgotten. Almost… Until the Bucs signed him as an Undrafted Free Agent.
Now, before you hit the ‘What went wrong?’ button, Pilar Sanders—mother of the so-called unwanted brothers—had a message. And she delivered it the only way a Sanders ever does: bold, unapologetic, and dripping with confidence. Before that, we’d give you a little background check on Pilar. After the divorce from Deion in 2013, Pilar called him a narcissist and accused him of infidelity. The case turned ugly, with battles over custody, money, and everything in between. It fractured the family.
But fast forward to draft weekend, and the whole Sanders family got together to support the sons. Then, there was Pilar, re-sharing an old reel with her boys ballin’ and this line slapping the screen: “Confident ladies produce confident babies. No Apologies!” How’s that for subtle?
Why say anything at all? Because both sons slid. Hard. Shedeur, once a projected Day 1 pick, fell to a franchise already bloated with quarterbacks. Shilo didn’t even get drafted—he had to call in agent Drew Rosenhaus midway through the draft. Not ideal. Turns out trusting their dad, Coach Prime himself, as their agent might not have been the game-winning play they thought.
“Dad was our agent… but that hasn’t been working out too good,” Shilo joked on Twitch. But was it really a joke? Because by Day 3, Rosenhaus was burning phone lines just to get Tampa Bay to take a chance on the safety.
Pilar wasn’t just flexing for the ‘gram. She was reclaiming the narrative. While Deion posted “God is great” and tried to spin Shedeur’s fifth-round selection as divine timing, Mom reminded everyone where the confidence came from. “PRESSURE is a PRIVILEGE plus our FAV PASTIME,” she captioned it. In a league where draft position is gospel, she saw opportunity… Not shame. It’s more than football, she said. “It’s a Legendary legacy for the Headache Gang!” That family nickname is a nod to the headlines around the Sanders name. And we do see the pun, especially after all the draft drama.
The only way for Shedeur Sanders and Shilo is up from here
Shilo said it best—“If they making him [Shedeur] wait. Oh buddy, what about me?” You could feel the sting in that. While Shedeur was sliding round after round, Shilo wasn’t even in the room. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t draft him. Heck, their GM Jason Licht admitted they weren’t even thinking about him until Drew Rosenhaus picked up the phone. “Todd [Bowles] and I looked at each other, nodded, and said ya let’s do it,” Licht said. If Rosenhaus hadn’t burned up the line post-draft, Shilo’s NFL shot might’ve never come.
So what changed? Timing. Just days ago, Shilo had no agent. The NFLPA’s February list didn’t have his name or Shedeur’s. The plan was to do it solo. The assumption was around Pops. Basically, thinking that Coach Prime had enough pull to help them land softly. But the draft showed no mercy. Shedeur tumbled to Round 5. Shilo didn’t hear his name at all.
By the time Rosenhaus stepped in, it felt like a Hail Mary. Shilo eventually signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent, but as HC Todd Bowles said, “I saw him make plays. He’s smart. Understands the game.” Bowles wants to see what he’s got, fair and square. Still, Mike Florio tossed up a warning: any team bringing in the Sanders boys better give them a real chance. Because Deion? He’ll call you out if you don’t.
This wasn’t how the Sanders script was supposed to go. Months back, Shedeur was a projected first or second-rounder. Shilo was expected to go late, sure—but drafted nonetheless. Instead, Shedeur’s now in Cleveland—fifth QB on a crowded depth chart. Shilo’s fighting for snaps in Tampa. So, long story short: the NFL doesn’t care about legacy until you prove yourself in pads.
But here’s the twist—you think they’re done? Not even close. They’ve both landed in locker rooms, and now it’s on them. The stage might not have been golden, but the lights are on. And the boys have got receipts. Every team that made them wait now gets front-row seats to what comes next. Our guess is, it should be #LEGENDARY if the Sanders banner is to fly after all this drama.
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