Photo courtesy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Toronto Argonauts are dreaming of a Sanders family reunion in The Six.
On Sunday, the Argos added defensive back Shilo Sanders to their negotiation list. With the move, the team now owns the exclusive CFL rights to two sons of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, after they staked their claim to quarterback Shedeur Sanders on April 28.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to the negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and many are unaware that their rights have been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
Shilo was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier on Sunday, following an incident in the team’s final preseason game. He was ejected from the contest for unnecessary roughness after punching Buffalo Bills’ tight end Zach Davidson in the helmet during a post-whistle altercation. Head coach Todd Bowles later called the incident “inexcusable.”
The 25-year-old was attempting to make the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and recorded four tackles in three preseason games. He could still be claimed off waivers by another NFL franchise or signed to a practice roster after final cuts on Tuesday, August 26.
Shilo originally began his collegiate career at the University of South Carolina, recording 32 tackles with one tackle for loss in 13 appearances over two seasons. He transferred to Jackson State University in 2021 after his father was named the head coach, earning second-team All-SWAC honours in his first season and amassing 59 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, 12 pass deflections, five interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 20 games.
The six-foot, 196-pound safety followed his father to the University of Colorado in 2023 for his final two seasons of eligibility. He played 21 games for the Buffaloes, racking up 137 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, five pass deflections, one interception, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.
The native of Cedar Hill, Tex., first gained media attention in October 2016 when he was the subject of a lawsuit alleging that he attacked a security officer after disrupting a high school class. A Dallas district court ordered that Sanders pay the claimant $11.89 million in damages for the incident, which led him to file for bankruptcy in 2023 in an attempt to discharge the debt. The claimant is currently contesting that decision for the right to garner future wages, and the matter remains before the courts.
Shilo’s younger brother, Shedeur, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, despite many analysts projecting him as a first-round calibre quarterback prospect. His future in a crowded Browns’ quarterback room remains uncertain ahead of final cuts.
The brothers have been heavily discussed in the media thanks to their famous father, Deion, who gained notoriety as a Hall of Fame player, television personality, and college head coach. Nicknamed Prime Time, he starred as a cornerback, kick returner, and occasional receiver with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Football Team, and Baltimore Ravens, earning six first-team All-Pro selections and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1994.
Sanders amassed 53 career interceptions and 22 total touchdowns while simultaneously playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He is the only person to dress for an NFL and an MLB game on the same day.
Despite Coach Prime’s bombastic and glamorous persona, he has been supportive of his former players in the CFL and was recently photographed wearing a Calgary Stampeders hat at practice in support of punter Mark Vassett. However, if either of Sanders’ sons opt to extend their pro football careers north of the border, Toronto will be their only option for as long as they remain on the negotiation list.