Gridiron football could very well be that sport that you love as much as you can, but it doesn’t always love you back. The latest case is the Colorado alum, Shilo Sanders. Around this time last year, the safety was traveling around with a smile on his face and hope in his eyes. After all, he was soon going to be an NFL player waiting to prove himself.

The draft ended, but the undrafted agent found his way to Tampa Bay, only to punch a Buffalo Bills tight end, Zach Davidson, in the preseason finale to effectively end his Bucs career. He waited, got another opportunity, they went the other way, and Sanders returned home. Fast forward to now, while his smile is still there, the hope has faded away…

“I just be like working out just as a human, but training and stuff, like getting ready, and you have a set day like camp training (nods),” Sanders said in his recent video on YouTube. “It’s like a whole different type of training. But 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.”

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In September right after he was cut from the Buccaneers, Sanders was back at the gridiron, practicing with the San Francisco 49ers. But when they went the other way, the safety still kept his hopes high and there’s a reason why.

He had already proven his skills back at Tampa Bay. Many even believed that he would’ve been on the final roster and even started for the Bucs. So, while he signed a three-year, $2.965 million deal, he only received a $1,572 signing bonus and a $4,830 workout bonus tied to training camp and preseason participation. The bulk of the $2.9 million was contingent on making the final roster, which didn’t happen. Things only took a turn for the worse.

The league fined Shilo Sanders $4,669 for the pnching incident. So, when his friend handed him $45 yesterday, he laughed confessing it was more than he ever received from the Bucs. But it is what it is and Shilo knows it all too well. In fact, he had already prepared for the moment.

Since he got cut from the league, Sanders is busy creating his own empire. This time, it is not on the field but in the entertainment world.

Shilo is posting more videos on his YouTube channel, he’s busy with his rapping career, and has been eyeing other opportunities away from the gridiron. Still, it would be hard for him to just let go of the sport he grew up loving along with his father, Deion, and his sibling, Cleveland Browns quarterback, Shedeur. As of now, Sanders doesn’t sound particularly hopeful about what could come next.

Shilo Sanders isn’t on board with his friend’s encouragement

“You’re a few steps away from getting it and you’re losing focus. Not now; this ain’t the time,” Shilo’s father has always taught his sons and students this. So, even after missing out on an NFL opportunity, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Shilo stay locked in. But that doesn’t seem to be the case right now.

The 26-year-old has stepped away from proper NFL training, even if he is working out to stay fit. That’s where his friends stepped in. They pointed out that uncertainty is part of the process. And it is true.

Just take the example of Philip Rivers. He retired in 2020, coached at a high school for four years, but when he planned to make his return, the Indianapolis Colts welcomed him. The NFL can be cruel, but hopeful like that. It might feel like the game has moved on, but if you give up, that could close the door for good. That’s what Sanders’ friends told him, too.

Their argument was simple. What if his agent calls with a last-minute opportunity, a minicamp invite two weeks out? Drew Rosenhaus had done this before; he could do it again. In that situation, missing training could come back to haunt him. But even that didn’t seem to move Shilo.

“Let me tell you something, just because you have got love for the game, don’t mean the game gotta love you back. Remember that, man,” Sanders said with a tough smile on his face.

Where he goes next, remains to be seen.