Carrying the iconic “Prime Time” bloodline couldn’t save Shilo Sanders after a fateful August 2025 preseason game. After joining Tampa Bay as an undrafted rookie, Sanders threw a punch at Buffalo’s Zach Davidson, earning a swift cut and a stern rebuke from Todd Bowles. Fast forward 12 months: zero NFL snaps, fading workouts, and zero offers. But this week, the 26-year-old woke up with a drastic pivot plan. He has a deadline and a backup plan already in place.

“If I don’t get picked up on a team by next week, I’m just gonna go ahead and drop the album, bro,” Sanders said during a recent livestream. 

A full-fledged pivot into entertainment is hardly a surprise coming from a Sanders. Music is practically woven into his DNA. His father, Deion Sanders, set the blueprint back in 1994 when the larger-than-life Hall of Famer crossed over into hip-hop, releasing his debut album ‘Prime Time’ under MC Hammer’s label. That bridge between sports and hip-hop culture extended to the next generation. Shilo’s stepbrother, Deion Jr aka Bucky, who runs the massively popular Well Off Media channel covering Coach Prime and the Colorado program, has dropped several tracks of his own, even featuring Shilo and Shedeur on his “GDITM” song. For Shilo, however, music is a hands-on-craft. 

In January 2025, he launched his debut hip-hop album Hate 2 Love, featuring tracks like “Fly,” “Change,” and “OMG.” Rather than relying on outside teams, Shilo gets deep into the technical processes: building “banger” beats from scratch on his MIDI keyboard and self-editing his official music videos. 

The poetic timing is hard to ignore. The very night the Bucs waived him, Shilo went straight to the studio to record a track titled “Go Out Swinging.”

Last year, Shilo has even signed with the United Talent Agency, for all things non-sports. Apart from that, on screen he’s already shown real acting chops, making a memorable cameo in Starz’s Black Mafia Family (BMF) by playing a young 1990s version of his father. On the runway, he hit the global stage in Paris, modeling Pharrell Williams’ Fall-Winter 2024 collection for Louis Vuitton alongside his brother Shedeur.

Paired with a growing YouTube audience of over 219,000 subscribers and high-profile brand partnerships with powerhouses like Porsche, Google, and Actively Black, Shilo isn’t stepping into entertainment empty-handed.

But the only problem might be the finances. He is set to appear in a trial on his bankruptcy case, which is tied to a lawsuit filed by a security guard at Shilo’s high school. Sanders was accused of assaulting the plaintiff, who sought compensation. Sanders filed for bankruptcy in 2023, with a debt of nearly $12 million. We thing it’s the right time for Shilo to capitalize on what his brother Shedeur said when he got waived from the Bay. 

Last year Shilo uploaded a vide on his YT channel where he and Shedeur hit a restaurant for dinner to celebrate Shedeur’s new single titled Turn Back. Seated at the table, Shedeur swiftly made a major offer to his brother. 

“I want to sign you to a 360; what do you sai?” Shedeur asked. 

Shilo took this moment to hint at another music release: “Imma drop soon, my boy.”

A 360 deal is basically a business relationship between an artist and a music company where the company provides funding for marketing, promotion and touring, and in return they ask for a percentage of whatever the artist makes. This includes everything from streaming and live shows to merchandise and endorsements. It looks like Shilo can really use his brother’s help in this.

“I’ve always done that my whole life playing football with music, acting, and modeling,” Shilo had said in a video he posted on his YouTube page. “I’m well-versed and my parents made sure of that. I’ve been prepared for anything to happen because you never know what could happen. I truly believe God has a big plan for me and I’m grateful to bring you along with me and keep you updated on everything.”

While his collegiate football career delivered solid production, Shilo Sander’s transition to the pros has been rocky.

Inside Shilo Sanders’ fading NFL ambitions

Shilo Sanders began his NFL journey amid intense uncertainty about his future. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buccaneers, which meant making the roster was his primary goal. Sanders worked hard, even practicing on days when the team was off and the facility was closed. He was competing for a spot in a room that already had names like Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather, and Rashad Wisdom.

Sanders played two preseason games for the Buccaneers, along with some notable plays: he made some big hits in the first game and recorded two tackles in the second. Todd Bowles was appreciative of his efforts.

“Shilo’s very aggressive, very young, very hungry,” he said. “He can make plays in the box, and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up.”

However, he complicated his position by engaging in a fight with Zach Davidson in the third game against the Buffalo Bills. He was ejected, and head coach Todd Bowles said the behavior was “inexcusable.”

“They’re going to get you every time. You’ve got to grow from that.”

Soon after, Tampa Bay waived him. His agents told ESPN they hoped someone claimed him off waivers, but that did not happen. Eventually, he stopped training for the NFL.

“I just be like working out like just as a human, but training and stuff, like getting ready, and you have a set day, like camp starts, like a whole different type of training,” Sanders told his friend after he asked the safety if he needed to stay in shape just in case an opportunity presents itself. “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.”

It’s still unclear if Sanders will be returning to the gridiron or fully shift to recording music. But his claims make it seem like his next album will drop soon, regardless of his NFL status.