The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are less than a week away from beginning training camp. Football is finally back in the Bay and there are plenty of storylines to follow throughout the preseason.
That includes which undrafted free agents are going to make the 53-man roster and practice squad. General manager Jason Licht has a proven talent for finding diamonds in the rough.
The Buccaneers signed one of the more notable former college football stars who wasn’t selected in April. Shortly after the draft, Tampa Bay agreed to terms with Colorado Buffaloes safety, Shilo Sanders. One of Deion Sanders’ younger sons, there are a lot of eyes on Shilo.
Jun 10, 2025; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) participates in mini camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sanders might have a little added pressure on his shoulders when the preseason begins. In his most recent YouTube video, Sanders shared a tidbit from a phone conversation with his father.
Deion Sanders revealed to Shilo that he’s hoping to make it down to Tampa to watch him practice. He also wants to see his other son, Shedeur Sanders, a rookie quarterback with the Cleveland Browns, before the college football season kicks off.
“I’m gonna try my best to rent a plane and come down and see you, then go see Shedeur, then come to work,” Sanders said.
“I’m coming to your practice first, I’m definitely coming to your practice first,” Sanders added. “You need to send me a schedule of the times of practice. Bet, go do your thing.”
Shilo Sanders isn’t guaranteed to be on Tampa Bay’s roster at the conclusion of training camp. With that being said, head coach Todd Bowles provided a few positive early reviews about Sanders’ performance during rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp.
During his senior season at Colorado, Sanders finished third on the team with 67 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He had two outings of 10+ tackles, including a season-high 13 tackles in a 37-21 loss to Kansas on November 23.
