Shilo Sanders
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Shilo Sanders of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers works out during the 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Mini-Camp at AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa.
Shilo Sanders may be fighting for his football life as an undrafted rookie in the NFL. But that doesn’t mean he can’t spread some of his well-earned NIL money around to his ex-teammates.
The now-Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie surprised his former University of Colorado teammates by gifting the entire roster Apple Watches.
Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders and older brother of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado.
The 25-year-old defensive back played six seasons of college football at South Carolina, Jackson State and Colorado.
How And Why Did Shilo Sanders Afford Apple Watches For The Entire Colorado Football Team?
Though it pales in comparison to Shedeur Sanders’ eye-popping estimated NIL deal of $6.5 million, Shilo Sanders reportedly had a name-image-and-likeness deal while at Colorado for $1 million.
So even though Shilo has a long road ahead to even play on an NFL roster, he can swing 80-100 Apple Watches, even at $300 apiece. The watches were on brand for him, since Shilo started the watch-flex celebration before and after games.
Plus, Shilo signed a three-year contract with the Buccaneers worth about $1 million annually, though they will only be on the hook for $1,572 until he makes the team, according to Over the Cap.
Shilo Sanders has had legal and financial issues in the past, since he has already declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to a legal settlement owed to a security guard at his high school from a decade ago.
According to USA Today, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is trying to foreclose on Shilo’s car after he defaulted on his monthly car payment.
Will Shilo Sanders Make The Buccaneers?
Unlike Shedeur Sanders, who seems like a lock to make the Browns at least on the practice squad, Shilo is far from a certainty to play regular-season snaps for the Buccaneers.
Sanders is one of eight safeties on the Tampa Bay roster, which includes All-Pro Antoine Winfield and third-year pro Christian Izien, who started 10 games for the Bucs last year.
Still, the Tampa Bay roster has competition at safety, moreso than any other position. Winfield, who is about to play in his sixth NFL season, is the senior-most safety on the roster by a country mile since Jordan Whitehead will not return.
No other safety has played more than three NFL seasons, and the Bucs are likely to go into the season with an inexperienced player, either Izien, Tykee Smith or Kaevon Merriweather as its safety opposite Winfield.
So it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question for Shilo to at least make the Tampa Bay practice squad, if not become a special-teams player for the Bucs. Though, Bleacher Report broke down Shilo’s candidacy and gave him just a 10 percent chance of being on the Buccaneers when training camp breaks in August.
Whether he makes Tampa Bay’s team, Shilo is well connected in the sport, obviously thanks to his dad. Between Deion’s network, and Shilo’s 1.2 million Instagram followers, he should be able to survive financial, whether it is in football or as a brand ambassador for any number of potential endorsers.