College Football has evolved way past its amateur genesis. It always had the pageantry and flash packaged alongside its traditions. But now, CFB also has prominence, eyeballs and money adjacent to its professional counterpart. Conceded, it’s never quite going to be the top dog in the football food chain. The NFL is still on that pedestal. But the gulf between the two has definitely shrunk. The advent of NIL has fanned the flames of this change. So much so that as Shilo Sanders climbs up a rung of the proverbial ladder, his pockets are actually taking a step down.
Unfortunately for him, Deion Sanders’ athletic prowess didn’t quite permeate through to Shilo. While his dad is one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever grace the sport, safety Shilo Sanders doesn’t have as much eminence in the secondary. Amidst his brother Shedeur Sanders’ unprecedented and almost inexplicable NFL Draft slide becoming a national talking point, Shilo actually came out of the ordeal in a positive light. His brotherly support and calm demeanor through the chaos gained plaudits. That said, the situation made the masses gloss over the repercussions of Shilo himself going undrafted. Now he technically did manage to realize his dream of being an NFL pro when the Buccaneers later signed him as an UFA. But even as he heads down to beautiful Tampa Bay, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Shilo.
On the surface level, the Bucs are an excellent landing spot for Shilo Sanders. He coincidentally shares a lot of parallels with head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles also played safety and went undrafted. Going the long way to becoming a veteran in the league before his foray into coaching. This is somebody who can guide Shilo down the path he traversed himself. Additionally, Bowles also shares a relationship with Deion Sanders. The two were teammates with the 49ers. But there are a couple of very prominent negatives to offset these potential positives. For one, Shilo’s still got to make the final roster on the other side of camp. There’s a fair way between wearing a Buccaneers hat and actually lining up for them. Secondly, going undrafted has meant Shilo Sanders is actually in line to rake in an estimated $260k less than he did in college.
Credit: Imago
Undrafted free agents such as Shilo Sanders initially sign a 3-year, league-minimum contract in the NFL. The figures and scales keep evolving, of course, with updates to the salary cap. For 2025, the annual salary Shilo will make is $840k. This figure will get bumped up to $885k and $930k in ‘26 and ‘27, respectively. Not too shabby whatsoever. Any player drafted after round 3 is going to make the same amount each year. The only difference is that they’ll have an additional 4th year on the back end. Ironically, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders are poised to make the same amount over the next 3 years. Imagine that being the case about a week ago. However, On3 estimates Shilo’s NIL valuation to be $1.1 million. Hence, the $260k deficit in 2025 relative to his earnings at the collegiate level.
That’s a healthy amount for most people, even when you’re Deion Sanders’ son and come from generational wealth. But Shilo Sanders probably isn’t losing too much sleep over it. He knew this reality heading into the draft. For a player of his stature and ilk, getting to a second contract is always the goal. That’s when the Benjamins really start flowing in. But getting to that second contract is the hard part. Shilo’s staring down the barrel of more hard work and graft than he’s ever had to do. But for now, he can revel in the fact that he’s actually on an NFL franchise. Which may not have even been the case had he not taken a drastic measure in the dying embers of draft weekend.
Shilo Sanders had to give father Deion Sanders the cold shoulder and make amends
The NFL Draft was supposed to be a joyous, celebratory occasion for the Sanders clan. The time that they finally get reciprocated for the work they put in over the years. However, it transpired into a juncture for self-reflection. That TV screen broadcasting the draft became a mirror, especially for Deion Sanders. His proactivity and hands-on role in both his son’s careers felt like a hindrance for the first time. There’s a thin line between being a present father and an overbearing one, and the NFL vicariously told Prime he may have crossed over. So Shedeur and Shilo Sanders took matters into their own hands.
After being represented by Deion over the draft process, Shilo announced on a Twitch livestream on Day 3 that he had signed with an actual agent. Someone who’d get on a call and line up teams, such as the Buccaneers, as potential destinations. Pull plugs and use connections that Deion clearly didn’t have within NFL front offices. As evidenced by their unpreparedness for how Shedeur slid down the board. “Dad was our agent. But that hasn’t been working out too good! So today, I had to sign with an agent. We’re gonna see what happens,” announced Shilo Sanders on the stream, which spawned an interesting reaction in the room. Better late than never, right? Well, getting an agent may have directed him to Tampa Bay. But only he can make sure he’s staying there. A long, treacherous summer awaits Shilo in the Sunshien State.
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