Shilo Sanders’ footballing journey has been full of ups and downs. The highs of game-winning tackles, the lows of avoidable penalties, the media trial over him being a product of nepotism, the real lawsuit that keeps on raising its ugly head, and whatnot! We can also add Shilo not getting an invite to the Combine and then going undrafted to this list. But if you have followed his career and heard him speak, you know he’s full of heart. A witty young man who perhaps hides his pain through a quick one-liner. He’s said time and again that all he needs is an opportunity. A chance to showcase to the world his talents.

Shilo is getting that chance at Tampa Bay. How is he faring? Well, better than you’d expect. And big brother Deion Sanders Jr. is doing what he does best: spreading the good word about his brothers as they continue to battle doubts around their potential.

“Throughout my whole career, I’ve always been a guy who gets the ball out anyway, shape, or form. Forced fumbles, picks, it is what it is. I’m going to get the ball,” Shilo Sanders once said about his college production. However, there were only some flashes of his true potential. In 2023, he produced 4 forced fumbles and an 80-yard pick-six. Now, at the Bucs rookie camp, Shilo has been nothing but impressive. HC Todd Bowles thinks so, at least. “He’s very intelligent, he’s very loud,” Bowles said. “You can hear him (on the field), making calls and everything.”

Perhaps Shilo’s most useful strength in the secondary is his footwork. At the rookie camp, that quality was “maybe the most impressive” among the rest of the safeties, reported insiders. Bucky also shared a clip of Sanders making some clean turns, tracking the ball, and then going down with it. He wrote in the caption, “Shilo Sanders Footwork During Camp Has Been IMPECCABLE.” And fans were in awe of his performance. One wrote, “Shi has beautiful footwork! He moves like a dancer out there.”

The Bucs needed some power in their secondary, and Shilo Sanders stands to be their biggest project. They already have All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., from whom the rookie can learn a lot until he becomes capable enough to make the starting roster. While at Colorado, Sanders made a mark with his ability to create turnovers. It’s still a long, long way ahead for him to exploit the complete range of his strengths, but he has to be polished first.

NFL Rookie Watch also reported that his rookie camp show “turned the head” of bossman Bowles. “[You] have to make plays in pads. That’s what it comes down to – knowing what to do and then doing it consistently and constantly getting better every day,” he said about Sanders. The Bucs stepped in and saved Sanders from missing out on an NFL career. This might be his biggest win ever, but the NFL was quick to bring his fans down from their high hopes of safety.

NFL Insider gives Shilo Sanders and fans the reality about his future

Shilo Sanders knows what money is. He has the family wealth and some top-of-the-line brand deals from his college career. Tampa Bay signed him as a UDFA just when he thought his hopes were looking bleak. His current three-year contract is the norm for UDFAs, priced at $2.965 million. That number doesn’t really do justice to his brand value and image, considering his gold-standard pedigree as well. But it’s an acceptable one, and all that Sanders has got. Also, he has to earn his keep.

Insider Greg Auman reminded Sanders’ supporters that “there’s little assurance of anything in terms of job security.” He also has little guarantee of making it into the practice squad. Auman added, “Bucs had 3 undrafted rookies get $250,000-$300,000 in guarantees this year. Even with those, it can be covered with practice-squad salary. Sometimes it’s offset — if a player is cut and lands on another squad, that satisfies the guarantee.” But Auman also noted that Sanders has one advantage. The depth in the safety room is shallow, so Sanders has a good chance of making it into the practice squad at the very least.

It all depends on how Sanders performs. He doesn’t just have to hit the brief here. He has to stupefy his critics to get just a shot at scoring a more secure contract. “I’m just gonna do everything in my power to help this team win,” he told the press recently. It looks like he’s taking this phase seriously and is banking on his own capabilities to achieve what’s most important right now.