Todd Bowles reveals what stood out about Shilo Sanders after Bucs’ preseason debut

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders has dealt with plenty of national attention his whole life, being the son of legendary NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Now, he's made it to the first step of his NFL journey, and he still had all eyes on him when he played in his first preseason game.

Shilo is competing to make a spot on Tampa Bay's 53-man roster with a dense safety group, and he got his first extended playing time with the Bucs on Saturday when the team faced off against the Tennessee Titans. He did well in his first game, with his big highlight coming on a strong QB blitz that caused a disruptive pressure. The NFL world took notice, and so did his head coach Todd Bowles.

The other Sanders, Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders: pic.twitter.com/tboptbDeXN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2025

Bowles was asked about how well Shilo did after the game, and Tampa Bay's head coach had some good things to day about Shilo during his first outing.

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles speaks on Shilo Sanders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) takes the field for warmups before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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

That praise is encouraging for Shilo. At the moment, he's got some tough competition — he's competing with Kaevon Merriweather, who knows the system from playing in it the past two years. UDFA J.J. Roberts, who has shown more flashes throughout camp and the game and can play more positions, and DB Christian Izien, who can play multiple positions outside of safety and is a player that Bowles confirmed has already made the team. As a result, he needs all the attention he can get, and it seems like he's getting some good attention from his head coach.

Shilo will have two more games (and a joint practice) to make an impression, when the Buccaneers face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming Saturday and then close out their preseason with the Buffalo Bills. Shilo's blitzing ability was on display against the Titans, but some big pass breakups or a turnover could go a long way to securing his spot in Tampa Bay, either on the roster or with the practice squad, during these next two games.

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