Shilo Sanders did not make an NFL roster for the regular season. He signed a lucrative contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but he did not get paid anywhere close to the full dollar value.
The 26-year-old only made a few thousand dollars during his brief stint as a pro.
This kind of financial agreement is not uncommon in the National Football League. However, it sounds like Sanders is not expecting to sign a new deal this season— or ever again.
Shilo Sanders signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Shilo, the son of Deion and older brother to Shedeur, did not get drafted out of Colorado last April. The 25-year-old safety ultimately signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
His contract was subject to widespread criticism because it was worth $2.965 million over three years. That number is way above the typical value for a player of his caliber on a rookie deal.
Except the money was not guaranteed! Sanders received a modest signing bonus of $1,572 and a workout bonus of $4,830 for his participation in training camp and the preseason. The remaining ~2.9 million was to be paid out if he made the active roster, which he did not. Sanders got cut in August.
To make matters worse, he was forced to relinquish the vast majority of his salary to the NFL because he threw a punch at an opponent during his final preseason game. The league fined him $4,669 for the incident, which reflects approximately 75% of his total earnings as a professional football player.
Fortunately, Sanders and his family have multiple streams of revenue so he will be alright financially. Unfortunately, that punch and resulting fine likely marked the end of his NFL career.
He is no longer training for a return to the NFL.
Shilo Sanders was asked about his future in football during a recent conversation with one of his former teammates. He admitted that he is no longer training to get back in the league.
“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 at the end of my tunnel.”
Sanders’ friend encouraged him to keep working. What if that call comes? What if a team needs him?
It was great advice and great perspective but it doesn’t sound like he is all that hopeful that will happen. At this point, it feels like the ship has sailed.
NFL minicamp will get underway at the end of this month. Mandatory training camp starts in June.
Shilo Sanders is willing to listen to any team that is willing to give him another chance, but he is not in active playing shape at the moment. His career earnings are going to stall out at a little bit more than $5,000, which took a 75% hit because he threw a punch. That was likely the end of his NFL career.