If you watched Deion Sanders in his NFL prime, get ready to feel old. His sons are about to take the field. Yes, both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders are heading to the league. Shedeur, a quarterback, was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, while Shilo, a safety, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
Advertisement
But the Sanders brothers aren’t the only second-generation players making their way to the NFL this year. There are many other sons of former NFL standouts in the mix: Mason Taylor, son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor; R.J. Mickens, son of former cornerback Ray Mickens; Oronde Gadsden II, son of former Dolphins receiver Oronde Gadsden and Jordan Clark, son of Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark.
While Mason, Shedeur, Mickens, and Gadsden were drafted, both Shilo Sanders and Jordan Clark signed as undrafted free agents. So, who landed the better deal?
Shilo inked a three-year contract with the Buccaneers. Though the team hasn’t disclosed the exact terms, a typical UDFA deal pays players around $840,000 in Year 1, $885,000 in Year 2, and $930,000 in Year 3, totaling approximately $2.65 million.
Meanwhile, Clark, as per Spotrac, signed with the New York Jets on a three-year, $2.99 million deal. His contract includes a $20,000 signing bonus and $170,000 in guarantees, averaging about $995,000 per year. On paper, he’s coming out slightly ahead.
In terms of their college careers, both Shilo and Jordan took the long road to the NFL, playing six seasons each.
Shilo began at South Carolina, recording 33 tackles and a pass deflection over two seasons. He then transferred to Jackson State to join his father and brother, where he recorded 17 tackles, broke up three passes, forced one fumble, and intercepted five passes. However, an ACL injury cut one of his seasons short.
Shilo later followed the family again to Colorado, where he truly broke out. Over two seasons in Boulder, he recorded 134 tackles, five pass deflections, five forced fumbles, one sack, and a pick-six.
Clark started his career at Arizona State, where he made 139 tackles, 17 pass deflections, and three interceptions — one returned for a touchdown. In his final season, he transferred to Notre Dame, contributing 36 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception while playing in the National Championship.
It’s a given that both Shilo and Jordan carry the weight of continuing their fathers’ legacies, while also building names for themselves. As older, more seasoned prospects, their teams would expect them to adjust quickly to the rigors of the NFL.
Both will likely see action on special teams in the initial days. But then, they may also get defensive snaps sooner than expected.
