Among the Sanders brothers, Shilo is turning out to be a dark-horse-like entity in the NFL. Slid out of the draft and signed as an UDFA, the older Sanders is making waves in the Bucs camp. He is yet to be a part of the official playing roster, but the way he’s wowing coaches suggests it’s only a matter of time. His growth in the Bucs’ practice sessions has been phenomenal. In 2022, experts were skeptical about his future when he was sidelined because of a season-ending ACL tear. 217 tackles weren’t enough to attract teams during the draft. But now, at Tampa, Shilo is a sure-shot rising star. While he might not be able to eclipse dad Deion Sanders’ ‘Primetime’ fame. But, he’s carving out something of his own, with undeniable echoes of legendary lineage.

Coach Prime’s image in itself is a commanding figure in gridiron football lore. One of the best defensive backs to have graced the NFL, he also dabbled in baseball. Sanders is the only athlete to play in both the NFL and the World Series. This is all apart from his slew of 8 Pro Bowl appearances, 6 All-Pro honors, and 2 Super Bowl wins. Deion Sanders is a legend, and he charted his legacy himself. Now that his sons are in the NFL, everyone has an eye on whether there’s a chance the brothers will reach the ceiling their father has set. Shilo Sanders, who suffered a more brutal draft than his brother Shedeur, is surely on that track.

At the Bucs OTAs, Shilo Sanders has impressed HC Todd Bowles through and through. Coach Prime shared a comment made by the HC, letting the world take notice of the momentum building behind his son. Bowles said of Sanders’ performance, “His performance in OTAs has been more than just effort. He’s smart, vocal, and understands the game. He has been doing a good job from day one.” Some fans think that Shilo is gearing up to mark a powerful beginning to his career, and perhaps even be a starting safety. He might even earn a nickname right away. “Pencil that man in as the starter! 📝 Since the Prime name is already taken…we gon call Shilo…Showtime! Showtime Shilo! Yeah, that gotta ring to it. ✨,” wrote an ardent fan.

Deion ‘Primetime’ Sanders, dad to Shilo ‘Showtime’ Sanders; yep, that’s got a good ring to it. Shilo is more than just a budding star in the Bucs camp. He started big right from the mini-camp days, relentlessly trains even on his off days, and naturally, is proving his worth in the OTAs. NFL Rookie Watch wrote on X that he and Baker Mayfield were “the most vocal leaders.” Also, Shilo reportedly “caught the eye” of Antoine Winfield Jr., the current starting safety. A clip showing Shilo running a smooth and sharp snag is also wowing audiences. He sure is putting on quite the show, and fans and coaches are loving it. Maybe Shilo will grow into that nickname when he takes to the Raymond James Stadium in the fall.

“I’m just so grateful for the opportunity of them just giving me this chance when nobody else would at that time,” Shilo said when he signed with Tampa. Since that moment, he has truly given this opportunity his everything. This is no longer the Shilo Sanders who remained overshadowed by the fame and popularity of his brother. The safety is getting people to take note of his power with his game, and not entirely because of the family name. And the journey so far was by no means an easy one. Deion Sanders wrote in the caption of the post, “So Proud of u son. @shilosanders So Proud! #Dad & #CoachPrime.” With what Shilo is achieving in the NFL, it’s no wonder the legend is moved. As his son makes waves in Tampa, he has the utmost gratitude for the team for taking in his son.

Deion Sanders ‘thankful’ for Tampa signing Shilo

Throughout the draft, for both brothers, Deion Sanders held his cool and motivated them to see through the darkness that was enveloping them. He relied on his faith and kept telling Shedeur and Shilo that the light would soon reveal itself at the end of the tunnel. And, he took off his coaching hat to be their dad, warding off the hate campaign launched against his sons. Shedeur made it in the tail end of the draft, but Shilo didn’t. Drew Rosenhaus became the family’s saving grace. He worked his magic to get the Bucs to make that momentous call to Shilo.

“I’m very thankful. Tampa’s a wonderful spot,” Coach Prime said on the family’s livestream that was covering the draft. “Coach [Todd] Bowles is a defensive-minded guy. He’s brilliant,” he also said of the coach. A particular intel from Joe Bucs Fan read, “Coach Prime called him [Jason Licht] Saturday night and thanked him for giving [Shilo] a fair shot.” What has to be noted here is that this was particularly after the spell cast by Rosenhaus’ genius, who managed to sway the GM and the staff into signing Shilo as a UDFA.

Shilo has a long, long way to become a solid unit of the Buccaneers. Being a UDFA, he is still not guaranteed to make it into the practice squad. It’s all in his hands now. How Shilo works and performs in these practice sessions will be the sole determinant of whether he gets to see his career grow into the kind he dreamt of. But with whatever he has displayed so far, “Showtime Shilo” may soon be more than a fan nickname. It could be a name announced in stadiums come fall.