What Todd Bowles Said About Shilo Sanders' Tampa Bay Buccaneers Debut

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie safety Shilo Sanders shined in his NFL preseason debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Deion Sanders (Colorado Buffaloes "Coach Prime") declined a Birthday present from his son Shilo after the game in a lighthearted fashion.

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles provided some insight into his evaluation of rookie safety Shilo Sanders' NFL preseason debut. The undrafted free agent Sanders is working towards making the 53-man roster, with the cuts deadline looming.

It's important Sanders takes advantage of preseason games to show Bowles and the rest of the coaching staff that he can transition quickly to the NFL, after being a stand out player for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Shilo Sanders Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roster Cuts deion sanders Todd Bowles Training Camp NFL Preseason coach prime nfc deadline | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Todd Bowles Impressed With Shilo Sanders After NFL Preseason Debut

Shilo started the second half for Tampa Bay, finishing with one solo tackle and and exciting quarterback hit that went viral on social media. Shilo came out hot right away - his quarterback hit came during his first series and was Tampa Bay’s first quarterback hit of the game. Shilo did a great job of making his presence felt and his head coach noticed.

"Shilo played tough," Bowles said after the preseason game. "I thought he went in and did a heck of a job. He had some good tackles inside. He had a pressure on the quarterback as well. He did some good coverage things. So he did a good job when he was in there."

Tampa Bay beat the Tennessee Titans, 29-7. Shilo's 37 total defensive snaps were third most on team, which is a big win for the rookie.

Aug 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) takes the field for warmups before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Sanders' Shot At Making 53-Man Roster

Bowles' praise of Shilo is a trend. One week before Tampa Bay's first preseason game, Bowles addressed the chances of Shilo making the roster.

"He's coming along," Bowles said. "He's getting the scheme down, he's made plays like everybody else back there. There's a few tests that come up during the preseason, Tuesday night was one. The other three preseason games and practices will be the others. He's got a good chance to make it."

Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith are the projected starting safeties. On Tampa Bay's first depth chart of the year, Shilo was listed as fourth-string. Shilo is making the most of his opportunities as he competes with other safeties like Kaevon Merriweather, Rashad Wisdom and J.J. Roberts.

Jun 10, 2025; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) participates in mini camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Shilo's fun personality has also been on full display already during this NFL offseason. A fan-favorite, Shilo has put in extra time to sign autographs, take photos and meet Bucs fans. Shilo is used to the attention, as he, his Dad "Coach Prime" and brother quarterback Shedeur Sanders took the college football world by storm during their two seasons together at Colorado.

NFL legend Deion Sanders attended a Buccaneers training camp practice in July to watch Shilo compete in an NFL uniform. Bowles joked around when he was asked about Deion Sanders' visit.

"He came to visit his son; he didn't come to visit me," Bowles said of Deion Sanders' visit. "He strictly came to see Shilo. I guarantee you he didn't come to see me. Not that I don't like him, but he's a father going to visit his son. Who wouldn't be proud to have their son trying out in the NFL?"

Jul 31, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles talks to media after training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Roster Cuts Deadline

The middle son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders must capitalize on the Bucs' remaining two preseason games if he wants to make the final roster. Colorado fans will be eager to see if Shilo can continue to build on his first preseason performance.

Tampa Bay's Preseason Schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 16: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET | NBC
• Saturday, Aug. 23: vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC

The deadline for NFL teams to reduce their rosters to 53 players is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 27.