Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) watches a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Browns Could Pursue Shilo Sanders After Buccaneers Release

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 3:12 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns could definitely afford to add some depth to their secondary. Not only is cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. out for the season, but the Browns' talent at the safety position leaves much to be desired.

Enter Shilo Sanders, who was just waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following his decision to throw a punch in his team's exhibition loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Perhaps that is not the best introduction, but Sanders actually would make plenty of sense for the Browns, and Scott DiBenedetto of Pro Football Network seems to agree.

DiBenedetto put together a list of five potential destinations for Sanders after he was released by the Buccaneers, and perhaps not surprisingly, Cleveland made the cut.

"Cleveland selected Sanders’ brother, Shedeur Sanders, in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Shedeur has acquitted himself well during training camp and his one start in the preseason, but would the Browns want to bring in another member of the Sanders family?" DiBenedetto wrote. "The team’s safety room is anchored by Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman, who was an undrafted free agent in 2023. Hickman is one of the projected starters, and that story should give Shilo motivation to work hard wherever he lands."

Shilo Sanders could make perfect sense for the Browns

Cleveland has already experienced the type of media attention it can receive now that one of Deion Sanders' sons is on its roster, but the Browns had to expect this when they took Shedeur in the draft back in April. Ergo, they don't really seem to care.

At this point, it seems as if Cleveland is only worried about what someone brings to the table as a player, and Shilo could help the Browns in that regard.

While Sanders' coverage skills could definitely use some work, he is a stout tackler who registered 67 tackles during his final season at Colorado last year. Two years ago, he racked up four forced fumbles as a result of his hard-hitting style.

From a football perspective, the Browns do present a sensible landing spot for Sanders, who played for three different colleges — South Carolina, Jackson State and then Colorado — throughout his NCAA tenure.

We'll see if Cleveland decides to make a move on Shedeur's older brother soon.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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