Throughout the NFL offseason, most of the spotlight has been on Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedur Sanders. His older brother, Shilo, however, has been stealing the show at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp. His recent performance has caught the attention of the Buccaneers' coaching staff.
The Buccaneers signed Shilo as an undrafted free agent and could earn a spot in Tampa's secondary. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that Shilo has a shot to make Tampa's 53-man roster if he makes a play during the preseason.
"He's coming along. He's getting the scheme down," Bowles said, h/t NFL.com. "He's made plays like everybody else back there. There are a few tests that come up during the preseason, Tuesday night was one, and the other three preseason games and practices will be others. He's got a chance to make it."
Todd Bowles hints that Shilo Sanders has a chance to make Buccaneers 53-man roster
The Buccaneers' secondary group is very young, so Shilo has a chance to make his presence known in the preseason. Multiple depth spots are open at safety after Antoine Winfield Jr and Tykee Smith moved over from the nickel role last season. The defense as a whole is stacked, so Sanders making the team wasn't necessarily a given.
But it is promising that he has caught the attention of Bowles. Yet, there is still a lot of training camp left and preseason games for Sanders to further help his case.
Sanders spent six years in college at South Carolina, Jackson State, and Colorado. In his last season with Colorado, the 25-year-old defensive back recorded 67 total tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
The Buccaneers have high expectations heading into the 2025 season. They should be considered the favorites to win the NFC South, and have made it to the playoffs each year since Baker Mayfield took over as quarterback. There is an abundance of talent across both sides of the line of scrimmage. From there, we'll see if the Sanders can secure a spot on the season-opening roster.