NFL Draft: Deion Sanders reportedly called Bucs after Shilo Sanders signed as free agent

The 2025 NFL Draft brought its fair share of surprises, but Shedeur Sanders’ plummet became a hotly debated topic.

Shedeur’s oldest brother and former Colorado Buffaloes teammate Shilo Sanders previously declared for this year’s draft. But the safety was not widely regarded as a top NFL prospect entering the annual event. 

While Shedeur had to wait until the final day of the draft to learn where his NFL journey would begin, Shilo never received a phone call from a franchise. His path to the professional football ranks would go through the undrafted free agent route.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Sanders to a contract shortly after the draft concluded, much to the reported pleasure of his Hall of Fame father. Deion Sanders thanked the Buccaneers organization on Saturday – a day in which both his sons’ NFL dreams came true.

“I’m very thankful. Tampa’s a wonderful spot,” Deion said during a Twitch stream. “Coach [Todd] Bowles is a defensive-minded guy. He’s brilliant.” The two-time Super Bowl winner took it a step further by making a call to Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht. 

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“Coach Prime called him Saturday night and thanked him for giving (Shilo) a fair shot,” Licht said, per Joe Bucs Fan.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles later cited Sanders’ football skills as he cleared up any potential concerns that the team was giving the defensive back an opportunity as a personal favor to his father. 

From left, Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders, head coach Deion Sanders, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and social media producer Deion Sanders Jr. following the win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field.  (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

“I think he’s a good football player,” Bowles said during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He’s a heck of a tackler and he knows the game very well; he can see the game very well. So giving him a chance to play, we think he has a shot to help us from a safety standpoint and from a special teams standpoint. 

“So I’m excited to get him in here and see how he moves. I saw him tackle all year. I saw him make plays. He’s a very smart player and he understands the game very well. So we thought it was worth a shot to see what he can do. And I think he’ll show himself well.”

Colorado Buffalos safety Shilo Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Oct. 19, 2024. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Sanders finished each of his two seasons at Colorado with 67 total tackles. He started his college football career at South Carolina. He transferred to Jackson State in 2021, where he joined his father and younger brother.

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On Friday, the Shedeur saga transformed from surprising to effectively inexplicable. Every team, including the franchises that entered this year’s draft with question marks at the quarterback position, passed on selecting the former Colorado quarterback in the first, second, third or fourth round.

The Cleveland Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round. Shortly after the selection, Sanders took to social media to share a short but emotional message: “Thank you GOD.”

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