Shilo Sanders is being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a day after his ejection from a preseason game for striking Buffalo Bills tight end Zach Davidson.
Sanders, son of Deion and brother to Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur, now depends on another team giving him a chance following his lapse in judgment on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old safety will need some luck as teams are currently focused on trimming their rosters. Each team’s 90-man lineup must be cut down to 53 players by Tuesday before the 2025 season begins.
‘We’re hoping he gets claimed on waivers,’ his agent Robert Bailey was quoted as saying by ESPN.
Sanders, who joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, participated in all three preseason games while competing for a spot on the main roster.
But Bucs head coach Todd Bowles made it crystal clear how disappointed he was in Sanders after the game.
Shilo Sanders throws a punch at Bills tight end Zach Davidson while playing for the Bucs
Davidson quickly pointed out that he had been punched, and Sanders was ejected
Sanders had become a fans’ favorite in Tampa Bay, but could miss out on the final roster
‘You can’t throw punches in this league,’ Bowles said. ‘That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.’
The incident on Saturday night occurred when Davidson appeared to try and rough Sanders up away from the play, pushing him back towards the end zone.
Sanders retaliated and the pair pushed each other in the face, before breaking away from each other.
The rookie’s temper got the best of him when he threw a punch at a Bills player right in front of an official, resulting in a penalty and immediate ejection.
His now former teammate, Bucs linebacker John Bullock, tried to get Sanders to stop and cool off but was unsuccesful.
This incident adds to the Sanders family’s controversies, with increased attention on Shilo’s younger brother Shedeur ever since he was selected in the fifth round of the draft earlier this year.
For the most part, the quarterback had made a promising case for himself since joining up with his team at camp in Cleveland. But he too had a difficult appearance in the final round of preseason games this weekend.
After coming on in the second half, he completed just three of his six throws for a total of 14 yards and was sacked a remarkable five times, for a loss of 41 yards.
Shilo is the son of the legenday Deion Sanders, who is now the head coach at Colorado
There is hope in the camp of the 25-year-old that he will be claimed off waivers
Saturday was also a difficult day for his brother, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur
But Shedeur, speaking before his brother was cut by the Bucs, was confident he wouldn’t lose his place on the team this week.
‘I think, overall as a player, I’ve put in the work,’ Sanders said. ‘I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best, and that’s all I can ask for.
‘I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team. If you ask anybody on the team, would they feel like they belong – they belong in their own eyes.
‘I feel like I do, but I’m my own player. I think about myself in a high regard, of course. It’s not my decision.’
Tampa start the season in two weeks, on the road against Atlanta Falcons, while the Browns play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnatti Bengals.
