Report: Buccaneers, former Colorado WR Will Sheppard failed physical after free agent signing

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Friday the signing of 15 undrafted free agents; former Colorado wideout Will Sheppard was not one of them. Sheppard was previously reported to be signing with the Buccaneers.

But according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, an issue popped up. Sheppard failed a physical, which explains why he was not listed. With Tampa Bay’s receiver room full of big names and a 2025 first round pick in Emeka Egbuka, Sheppard was seen as a potential training camp standout fighting for a 53-man roster spot.

We've added 15 UDFAs to our Krewe 👏 pic.twitter.com/ERKnZhb02r

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 9, 2025

Sheppard, 23, didn’t get as much pub as some of his Colorado teammates, but was still a productive player in his lone season in Boulder. The Vanderbilt transfer finished third on the team with 48 receptions for 621 yards and six touchdowns.

Sheppard produced with the Commodores as well. From 2021-23, he made 150 catches for 2,037 yards and 21 scores. He is seventh on Vanderbilt’s all-time receiving list.

Will Sheppard does not sign with Buccaneers, Colorado teammate does

For now, Sheppard is not a Buccaneer; his teammate, safety Shilo Sanders, is. Sanders signed his undrafted rookie deal and will look to make an impact in camp. Sanders began his career at South Carolina in 2019, playing two seasons for the Gamecocks. He then transferred to Jackson State to follow his father before following him again, going to Colorado in 2023.

Over the course of two years with the Buffaloes, he logged 137 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, five pass deflections, a pick six, three fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Sanders amassed 170 career tackles with South Carolina and Colorado at the Power Four level.

Sanders will look to compete for a depth spot in Tampa Bay’s secondary. Backup jobs at the safety position appear to be wide open, with Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith set to start.

“I think he’s a good football player,” head coach Todd Bowles said last Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He’s a heck of a tackler and he knows the game very well; he can see the game very well. So, giving him a chance to play, we think he has a shot to help us from a safety standpoint and from a special teams standpoint.

“So, I’m excited to get him in here and see how he moves. I saw him tackle all year. I saw him make plays. He’s a very smart player and he understands the game very well. So, we thought it was worth a shot to see what he can do. And I think he’ll show himself well.”