It’s probably not happening with Shilo Sanders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2025 NFL season. Deion Sanders’ middle son isn’t predicted to edge out Kaevon Merriweather during Bucs training camp.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay gave Shilo a 10% chance of making Tampa’s roster come Week 1 of the regular season.
“Unfortunately for the Colorado product, that seat is one that Kaevon Merriweather has the inside track to earn,” Kay wrote.
“Merriweather already has solid experience in Tampa’s system. He’s been with the team since catching on as an UDFA two seasons ago and has fared well in limited regular-season action.
“Given Merriweather is the same age as Sanders with far more reps already under his belt, it’s going to take a dismal camp—coupled with Sanders showing out—to lose the positional battle.”
Sanders was given little fanfare ahead of the 2025 NFL draft but landed with a DB-needy franchise. Still, while he’s active on the field, having been one of Colorado’s most prolific tacklers over the last two seasons in Boulder, his man coverage has been a glaring weakness.
In a league full of big arms, that isn’t going to translate well.
If nothing else, Sanders is all but guaranteed to get a fair shot to make the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.
“Any team that gives Shilo a shot needs to be ready for it to be a fair shot, because Deion has the public profile to call out anyone who doesn’t, in Deion’s view, give either Shilo or Shedeur a fair shot,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote.
A fair shot doesn’t mean a definite chance.
For Sanders, it’s a slim chance to stick with Tampa Bay.
