Shilo Sanders has yet to play an NFL snap. It’s been nearly a year since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers let him go, and he remains without a team. Now, Sanders has a deadline and a backup plan ready.
“If I don’t get picked up on a team by next week, I’m just gonna go ahead and drop the album, bro,” Sanders said during a recent livestream.
Sanders began his NFL journey amid intense uncertainty about his future. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buccaneers, which meant making the roster was his primary goal. Sanders worked hard, even practicing on days when the team was off and the facility was closed. He was competing for a spot in a room that already had names like Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather, and Rashad Wisdom.
Sanders played two preseason games for the Buccaneers, along with some notable plays: he made some big hits in the first game and recorded two tackles in the second. Todd Bowles was appreciative of his efforts.
“Shilo’s very aggressive, very young, very hungry,” he said. “He can make plays in the box, and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up.”
However, he complicated his position by engaging in a fight with Zach Davidson in the third game against the Buffalo Bills. He was ejected, and head coach Todd Bowles said the behavior was “inexcusable.”
“They’re going to get you every time. You’ve got to grow from that.”
Soon after, Tampa Bay waived him. His agents told ESPN they hoped someone claimed him off waivers, but that did not happen. Eventually, he stopped training for the NFL.
“I just be like working out like just as a human, but training and stuff, like getting ready, and you have a set day, like camp starts, like a whole different type of training,” Sanders told his friend after he asked the safety if he needed to stay in shape just in case an opportunity presents itself. “It takes a special kind of guy to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I don’t think there’s any light in my tunnel.”
However, Shilo Sanders is also facing a major roadblock ahead. He is set to appear in a trial on his bankruptcy case, which is tied to a lawsuit filed by a security guard at Shilo’s high school. Sanders was accused of assaulting the plaintiff, who sought compensation. Sanders filed for bankruptcy in 2023, with a debt of nearly $12 million.
However, Sanders has been drawn to music ever since he was a child. He grew up learning the piano, and still amazes fans today whenever he plays. In 2025, Sanders released his debut album ‘Hate 2 Love,’ following in his father’s footsteps, who also released some tracks.
“In every athlete’s life it becomes a point to where the game ends for you,” Shilo Sanders said in a video after he was waived. “And I’m not saying that’s what it is now. I’m just saying mentally I’m good ‘cause I know that I got a lot of talents and I’ve been blessed… Basically, every athlete comes to this point to where you find yourself without the game of football, and then you’re thinking about what can you do next? What now?
“Everything is great… We’ll be ready for anything. I appreciate y’all.”
While his collegiate football career delivered solid production, Shilo Sander’s transition to the pros has been rocky. Whether he returns to the gridiron or fully shifts into the recording studio is still unclear. But his claims make it seem like his next album will drop soon, regardless of his NFL status.
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The post “If I Don’t Get Picked Up by Next Week”: Shilo Sanders Unveils Backup Plan if NFL Teams Pass on Him appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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