The off-season this year has been unfolding unexpectedly. There are tears, excitement, shock, and, of course, a lot of drama. And smack dab in the middle of it all, circles one of the most prominent names in the league – the Sanders. When Shedeur was watching the drafts awaiting his name being called, his brother, Shilo Sanders, was right by his side. Shilo even jokingly said, “I don’t even know what they’re going to do with me – if they making him wait – oh buddy.” But as his little brother got a shot with the Browns, Shilo went on as an undrafted free agent. It was then that Shilo took a major step.

Shilo fired his dad as his agent and hired a tried and tested NFL guy who made the calls for him. “Dad was our agent, but that hasn’t been working out too good. So today I had to sign with an agent,” Shilo said in a Twitch stream. Through his new agent Drew Rosenhaus’ efforts in reaching out to the Tampa Bay front office, Shilo got the shot. And just like that, both Sanders brothers had teams that wanted them. But was it the end of all the drama? Nah. If Shedeur was Act I, Shilo’s move to the Buccaneers was Act II. And now, the curtain finally rises on Act III.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers revealed the jerseys their new rookies will be wearing. As per a post on X by Scott Smith, “The Bucs’ 2025 draft picks were issued their jersey numbers today. They are: #9 Emeka Egbuka, #21 Benjamin Morrison, #25 Jacob Parrish, #51 David Walker, #95 Elijah Roberts and #83 Tez Johnson. Always subject to change.” One might note there’s no mention of Shilo Sanders here. But then, he wasn’t a draft pick. 

And now, he will probably have to prove his worth to make the team and earn himself a number. The words “Always subject to change” do ring rather a hopeful tune, and the new season is still months away. So Shilo might get his fair shot during the training camp and finally earn a jersey number for himself.

As Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said, “I think he’s a good football player—He’s a heck of a tackler and he knows the game very well—So giving him a chance to play, we think he has a shot to help us from safety standpoint and from a special teams standpoint.” The front office knows Shilo’s got the skills. And he’s already gearing up to prove himself, getting accustomed to the Florida climate and everything.

But one must note he will only get to tackle people on the gridiron once the Bucs give him a number. Even if Shilo does prove himself in training camp, the bittersweet thing is he probably won’t get the number he wants.

The numbers game for Shilo Sanders

Throughout his college career, Shilo Sanders has donned the number 21 on his back. A tribute to his father, Deion Sanders, and a testament to the legacy he’s trying to build. But the Buccaneers have given the no. 21 to Benjamin Morrison, and we wonder what it means for Shilo. If the “Always subject to change” comes to fruition, we might see Shilo wearing his father’s old number on his back again. But right now, it doesn’t seem likely.

Meanwhile, with the Browns, Shilo’s little brother is also going through something similar. The Browns signed DeAndre Carter in the offseason and gave him the No. 2. Which meant Shedeur wouldn’t get to wear his iconic college number either.

Instead of his college’s No. 2, Shedeur will be donning the no. 12 on his back for the Browns. While some think it’s just a clever 21 flipped backwards, it can also be a tribute to Tom Brady. Incidentally, Brady was the last QB to wear the No. 12 in Tampa Bay. But what about Shilo? He has already expressed his gratitude for the opportunity the Bucs have given him. Deion Sanders had called the front office and offered his thanks as well. And the young safety is determined to prove himself to the team. The fans are now left to wonder what number will be the beginning of his legacy with the Bucs. 

Jersey numbers are clear statements in the NFL. Nothing short of a war cry for these fighters who give it all for the game. So it will be really interesting to see what number Shilo Sanders will get to wear. Maybe it will be some other play on 21. Or he might decide to go a different route and carve out his own iconic number. Whatever happens, this offseason is gearing up to be quite dramatic.