Shilo Sanders still without a team after Bucs cut at 25: How old was Deion when he entered the NFL?

Shilo Sanders finds himself in a tough spot early in his pursuit of a professional career in football. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers releasing the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, the 25-year-old has yet to find a team for the 2025 season.

Shilo has recently been linked with two teams in need of depth at safety, yet his future in the league remains uncertain. Needless to say, his situation contrasts with the one his father experienced back in the day.

While Shilo Sanders is still without an NFL team at 25, his father Deion was only 21 when he entered the league in 1989. But even if the Bucs hadn’t released Shilo this offseason, their situations would’ve still looked different.

Comparing Shilo and Deion Sanders’ NFL entries

Shilo Sanders spent six years in college football before declaring for the NFL, but he still went undrafted. And even though the Buccaneers gave him a chance to practice with their team in the offseason, the AFC South franchise ultimately opted against giving him at least a practice squad spot.

Shilo Sanders (left) with his father Deion (center) and brother Shedeur (right).

Deion Sanders, on the other hand, arrived in the 1989 NFL Draft as one of the most exciting prospects of his class. Following an impressive stint with the Florida State Seminoles, the Atlanta Falcons drafted him fifth overall.

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Deion, who also shone in MLB, went on to have a successful career in the NFL, picking up multiple accolades—including two Super Bowl rings. Eventually, he transitioned to coaching in high school and college, where he even coached his sons Shilo and Shedeur at Colorado.

Deion Sanders’ legacy, an inevitable weight on Shedeur and Shilo’s shoulders

Now, both have all eyes around them as the comparisons with Deion, though unfair, seem inevitable. While Shilo may be going through a tougher experience, Shedeur also knows what it’s like to have too much attention around him.

The quarterback had to go through a challenging situation in the 2025 NFL Draft, waiting until the fifth round to be picked by the Cleveland Browns despite being originally seen as a projected first-rounder.

And even when the Browns selected him, Sanders had to go through months of uncertainty as the team went to training camp with four quarterbacks on the roster. Shedeur eventually made the 53-man cut, but the battle to prove his worth continues as he’s entering the season as the team’s third-string quarterback.