Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Only time will tell if Shilo Sanders will be suiting up for an NFL team this year after he was cut by the Buccaneers in the wake of a preseason game where he was ejected for throwing a punch. However, he does have a possible backup plan thanks to the CFL team that’s claimed the right to sign him after doing the same for his brother Shedeur.
Two of Deion Sanders’ sons, Shedeur and Shilo, declared for the most recent NFL Draft after wrapping up their time at Colorado. The former had to wait until the fifth round before the Browns decided to scoop up a second quarterback after selecting Dillon Gabriel, while the latter didn’t hear his name called by the time it wrapped up.
The undrafted safety ultimately signed with the Buccaneers as a free agent. There were a few factors that played into Tampa Bay’s decision to release him following their final preseason game, but he certainly didn’t do himself any favors by throwing a punch at Bills tight end Zach Davidson before he was subsequently ejected from the contest.
There’s always a chance another NFL team decides to sign him in some capacity, but he does have a fallback north of the border.
The Toronto Argonauts of the CFL claimed the right to sign Shilo Sanders after he was cut by Tampa Bay
The Canadian Football League has a “negotiation list” that allows each of its nine teams to claim the exclusive signing rights to up to 45 players who either play at the college level or are affiliated with a squad in another professional league.
Most of the guys who are targeted are relatively minor names who have a somewhat realistic chance of taking their talents to the CFL after being forced to accept they don’t have what it takes to hang in the NFL. However, the negotiation list also boasts some notable players that those teams view as a bit of a pipe dream.
That includes Trey Lance, who is seemingly set to secure a job as a backup QB for the Chargers this season but could only try out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders if he decided to take his talents to the NFL. All signs point to Shedeur Sanders landing the same role on the Browns this season, but the Toronto Argonauts have had him on their list since the end of April.
Now, he’s been joined there by his brother, as 3 Down Nation reports Shilo was claimed by the Argonauts over the weekend in the wake of his release.
It seems pretty unlikely Sanders will opt to head north of the border (being added to the negotiation list is rarely an indication of mutual interest; a CFL team could theoretically claim Patrick Mahomes if it wanted to waste a spot on him), but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out.