On Monday, NFL legendDeion Sanders revealed he recently had a battle with cancer. The Hall of Famer, and current Colorado Football coach, held a press conference with his medical team, where it was revealed they found a cancerous tumor on his bladder back in the spring. Sanders then underwent a surgery in May to remove the bladder, and his doctor announced he is officially cured from the cancer.
While it had been reported that Sanders was dealing with a health issue, the specific details weren’t announced to the public until Monday. Turns out, that’s also when Sanders’ son, Shilo Sanders, a rookie safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, found out about his father’s cancer diagnosis. The elder Sanders revealed during his press conference that he decided to keep sons Shilo and Shedeur (Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback) in the dark because he wanted them to focus on their NFL dreams instead of being worried about him.
Coach Prime on not telling Shedeur and Shilo that he had bladder cancer :
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) July 28, 2025
“My sons to this day don’t know what transpired…I wanted them to focus on making the team and not focus on dad” ❤️pic.twitter.com/9V1a67qLyc
Deion Sanders hid cancer battle from son Shilo Sanders
Sanders revealed he got the initial diagnosis before the 2025 Draft. With two sons entering the league, Shedeur as a fifth rounder and Shilo as an undrafted free agent, he knew both would have to fight for their spots on their respective teams. Wanting their focus solely on those battles, he hid his own from them.
Both rookies were coached by their father in college at Colorado and Jackson State, and have a very close relationship with him. Deion Sanders even stopped by Tampa Bay to watch Shilo in his first training camp practice. Fortunately, the patriarch of the famous football family is cured from cancer, and has resumed his duties as the head coach of Colorado.
Now, just learning this information, Shilo Sanders will continue to fight for his spot on the Buccaneers roster. Already a fan favorite, he has impressed early with the team and he’ll try to continue that.