The Las Vegas Raiders were commonly linked to Shedeur Sanders ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Not only had his dad, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, expressed interest in the Silver and Black, but the Sanders family is close with minority owner Tom Brady, and the Raiders needed a young quarterback.
However, Shedeur Sanders ended up with the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, and Las Vegas passed on him several times. His older brother, Shilo, a free safety, did not have much luck in this year's draft either.
He was not selected at any point during the seven-round event, and then he failed to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster as an undrafted free agent. But he's not done trying to live out his NFL dreams, and he recently called on the Raiders to give him a chance.
Raiders should ignore Shilo Sanders' plea for Las Vegas to sign him
On Saturday evening, Vegas Sports Today's Mike Dixon caught up with Shilo Sanders at an event in Las Vegas. When Sanders found out that Dixon covers the Raiders, he used the opportunity for some self-promotion and implored Las Vegas to sign him.
"Shout out (to) the Raiders. Y'all need a safety, come holler at me," Sanders said. "I don't live in Vegas, but I could, if the Raiders said, 'Come on, do a workout real quick.' I could live in Vegas."
While it's good to know that young players want to live in Las Vegas and play for the Raiders, John Spytek and Co. need to steer clear. First of all, Sanders doesn't have the strongest track record as a player, which was put on full display this preseason.
Simply put, there's a reason that Sanders did not make the Buccaneers' roster, and Spytek can call his former employer and close friend, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht, if he needs any more details. Statistically speaking, he recorded just four tackles and three missed tackles this preseason.
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Sanders' Pro Football Focus grades were also among the worst on the Bucs' defense this preseason, as his overall grade of 39.1 was 39th out of 40 players. His 46.4 mark against the run ranked 36th, his 27.4 tackle score was 31st out of 35 players, and his 47.2 coverage grade ranked 28th out of 32.
To top it all off, Sanders got fined by the NFL for punching a Buffalo Bills tight end in the preseason finale, which surely contributed to his not even being brought back on the practice squad. He's also had a number of off-the-field issues, so nothing about a signing would make sense for Las Vegas.
While Raider Nation has been frustrated with Isaiah Pola-Mao's play this season, they'd much rather see players like Tristin McCollum, Terrell Edmunds or Chris Smith II rotate in back there, or wait for Lonnie Johnson Jr. to return from the Injured Reserve.
There really is no world where signing Shilo Sanders is a winning venture for the Silver and Black, so hopefully his message to the Raiders falls on deaf ears.