If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you might have seen a flash of red and pewter with a very familiar name on the back. Seeing a Shilo Sanders Bucs jersey in the wild feels a bit surreal, doesn't it? One minute he’s the hard-hitting "Headache" for the Colorado Buffaloes, and the next, he’s rocking the same colors as Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr.
But there is a whole lot of confusion about how he got there, what happened during his time in Tampa, and why his dad, the legendary Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, wouldn't even touch the jersey at first.
Honestly, the story of Shilo’s pro debut is kinda wild. It wasn't a first-round coronation. It was a gritty, undrafted fight that ended with a punch, a fine, and a very emotional gift to his mom.
The 2025 Draft Drama: How Shilo Landed in Tampa
Let's be real: the 2025 NFL Draft was an emotional roller coaster for the Sanders family. While Shedeur Sanders was the big headline—sliding all the way to the 144th pick to the Cleveland Browns—Shilo’s name never got called at all.
He waited. And waited.
When the final pick of the seventh round passed, Shilo didn't mope. He was actually live streaming with Shedeur when the news broke that he was signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). He literally put on a Bucs hat and started dancing. He even compared himself to Ryan Clark, a legendary safety who also went undrafted.
He wasn't just there to fill a roster spot, though. He was there to compete.
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The Jersey Milestone at KFC
Before he even played a snap, the Shilo Sanders Bucs jersey became a "thing" because of a viral video. Deion Sanders challenged Shilo to hand out 250 free chicken meals at a local Tampa KFC.
While Shilo was working the drive-thru window, a fan pulled up wearing a No. 28 Buccaneers jersey with "SANDERS" on the back. Shilo lost it. He started yelling, "Oh, he got the jersey! That's the first one I've seen!"
He signed it right there through the window. For a guy who grew up in the shadow of a Hall of Fame father, seeing his own name on a pro jersey for the first time was clearly a massive core memory.
Why Deion Refused the Jersey
The most "Sanders" moment of this whole saga happened after Shilo’s preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans. The Bucs won 27-9, and Shilo played well. It was also Deion’s 58th birthday.
Shilo tried to give his dad the game-worn Shilo Sanders Bucs jersey as a birthday present.
Deion said no.
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"He didn't want it," Shilo joked to reporters later. "He’s a Hall of Famer. He expects like 30 times more. I gotta get like three picks or something for him."
Basically, Coach Prime wasn't being mean; he was being a coach. He wanted his son to earn that legendary status before he started collecting the memorabilia.
The Gift to Pilar
Since Dad wasn't taking the jersey, Shilo gave it to his mom, Pilar Sanders. She was way more appreciative. She posted a huge tribute on Instagram, saying she was "speechless and deeply touched." She’d traveled from North Carolina (watching Shedeur) to Tampa just to see Shilo’s debut.
The Punch That Changed Everything
Unfortunately, the "Headache" nickname lived up to its reputation in a way the Buccaneers coaching staff didn't love. During a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 23, 2025, Shilo got into it with Bills' tight end Zach Davidson.
He threw a punch.
He was immediately ejected.
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Coach Todd Bowles didn't hold back, calling the punch "inexcusable." In the NFL, especially as an undrafted rookie, you can't afford those kinds of mistakes. On August 26, the Buccaneers waived Shilo as part of the final roster cuts. To rub salt in the wound, the NFL later slapped him with a $4,669 fine for the incident.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Jersey
There are a few misconceptions floating around about this piece of gear:
- It wasn't a retail hit: You couldn't just walk into a Dick's Sporting Goods and find Shilo's jersey on the rack easily. Most of the ones seen in public were custom-ordered by fans or limited camp releases.
- The Number 28: Many fans expected him to wear 21 like his dad, but in Tampa, that wasn't on the table. He carved out his own identity with 28.
- The "Bucs Legend" memes: Because his stint was so short, some people make fun of the jersey as a "collector's item" for a player who never made the active 53-man regular-season roster.
Can You Still Get a Shilo Sanders Bucs Jersey?
If you’re a die-hard Colorado fan or a Sanders family completionist, finding an official one is tough now. Since he was cut before the regular season started, the team stopped producing any merchandise associated with him.
Your best bet? Custom jersey sites. Most NFL shops let you put any name and number on a jersey, so you can still rock the No. 28 "Sanders" look in the Tampa colors if you really want to represent that brief, chaotic summer of 2025.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're following Shilo's journey or looking for his gear, here's what you should actually do:
- Check the "Cut" List: If you're buying jerseys for undrafted rookies, wait until the final 53-man roster is announced in late August. Otherwise, you might end up with a jersey for a player who isn't on the team two weeks later.
- Look for Practice Squad Updates: Players like Shilo often cycle back through practice squads or get workouts with other teams (like his 2025 workout with the 49ers). Keep an eye on NFL transaction wires.
- Value the "Firsts": If you ever happen to find a jersey signed by Shilo during that KFC event or his brief Bucs tenure, hold onto it. Those "pre-fame" or "short-stint" items often become interesting pieces of sports trivia years later.
Shilo’s time in Tampa was a lightning strike—fast, loud, and over before you knew it. But that jersey remains a symbol of a kid who went from the bright lights of "Prime Time" to the grind of an undrafted free agent, trying to make it on his own terms.
Next Steps: You might want to keep an eye on the X (Twitter) accounts of NFL insiders like Tom Pelissero or Ian Rapoport. They are usually the first to report if Shilo gets another shot at a training camp invite for the 2026 season.