The pressure was on for Shilo Sanders as NFL cut day loomed, and no one knew how his journey with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would end. An undrafted rookie safety with headlines and history in his family, Sanders had to prove that he belonged.
A handful of good moments stood out, but one snap decision may have sealed his fate. Now, fans are left asking: Was this just a rookie learning curve, or the end of Sanders’ shot with the Buccaneers?
Why Did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Waive Shilo Sanders?
Heading into the preseason, Sanders had his work cut out for him to make the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster. He came in as a 25-year-old undrafted safety out of Colorado, where his father, NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, coached him the last two seasons. Plus, his brother Shedeur Sanders, a fifth-round pick, is hoping for a shot to start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.
While Sanders was recognized for hard hits at safety in college, he wasn’t known for covering deep down the field. Adding to that, he missed time due to injuries while in college. So before the 2025 NFL Draft, he faced questions about his injury history, age as a rookie, and a narrower skill set.
Not much changed when Sanders reached the NFL level. Throughout the preseason, he logged 83 snaps with Tampa Bay: 32 in run defense, five as a pass rusher, and 46 in coverage. The highlight came in Week 1, when he generated pressure on a safety blitz and just missed a sack on Tennessee Titans quarterback Brandon Allen.
Tampa Bay Bucs Shilo Sanders from Jackson State bringing the boom with the safety blitz
🎥 NFL pic.twitter.com/CdQzLGlFkK— HBCU Premier Sports & More (@HBCUSports1) August 10, 2025
On the other hand, Sanders ran into trouble in his final preseason game, missing an open-field tackle on Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes and showing lapses in space.
SHILO SANDERS PLAYS TWISTERS WITH FORMER GEORGIA TECH TIGHT END JACKSON HAWES” ‼️‼️
“28 Shilo work on your open field tackling”‼️‼️#StingEm #beatcolorado pic.twitter.com/qjkV4NXUPw
— GeorgiaTechFbStopTrollr (@georgiatechd1) August 24, 2025
Taking a look back to Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders played 33 snaps. He made two tackles but also missed two, showing both flashes and flaws.
PFSN’s Sebastian Mondaca highlighted that Buccaneers fans grew frustrated with Sanders’ play, saying he looked like a practice squad candidate at best. The trend was clear: Sanders’ performance took a dip with each game, while other players, including Kaevon Merriweather, JJ Roberts, and Rashad Wisdom, fought hard for their own roster spots.
Adding to the pressure, Sanders made the wrong kind of headlines in Week 3. He was ejected from the game after throwing a punch at Buffalo Bills tight end Zach Davidson, an instant problem for someone trying to secure a spot when rosters were being finalized.
In less than 24 hours, rookie safety Shilo Sanders got ejected from a game and then waived from the Buccaneers. pic.twitter.com/HcyUk5uv9e
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
For a player battling for a final roster spot, giving teams a reason to cut you is never ideal, and that moment may have sealed his fate.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said, “You can’t throw punches in this league. That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.” The message is clear: actions like that get noticed, and not in a good way.
So why was Sanders cut? It started with long odds from the jump as a 25-year-old undrafted rookie. His game slipped each week, and a preseason ejection capped things off. Now it’s up to Sanders. Will he land on Tampa Bay’s practice squad, find a new opportunity elsewhere, or use this lesson as motivation going forward?
