After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shilo Sanders, former Colorado safety and son of NFL Hall of Famer and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Sanders had been fighting to earn a spot on the roster throughout training camp, but he was released today following an incident in last night’s preseason game where he threw a punch. It’s safe to say fans are not happy with the Buccaneers’ decision.
Shilo Sanders Released by Buccaneers Following Preseason Ejection
The odds for any UDFA making a final 53-man roster in the NFL are slim, and those odds get even smaller when a player gets ejected during a preseason game.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles expressed his displeasure with Sanders’ punch last night after the team’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
“You can’t throw punches in this league,” Bowles said. “That was inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time.”
Following the incident and ahead of the cut deadline on Tuesday, August 26, the Buccaneers announced that Sanders would not make the final 53-man roster and would be released from the team.
Schefter: S Shilo Sanders to be waived by the Bucs.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 24, 2025
Sanders had become a fan favorite in Tampa, and many were rooting for the young safety to make the team. It’s clear that they are not happy with the Buccaneers’ choice to release him.
One person noted that the punch Sanders threw likely was the final straw in his career with Tampa.
One punch can ruin a career 🥀
— Alt (@Alternvte) August 24, 2025
“One punch can ruin a career,” the fan said.
A Buccaneers fan was very unhappy with his team’s decision to let Sanders go, posting on X, “I’m a Bucs fan, but they are weak af for that.”
One person couldn’t believe the news, and was hoping for his team to sign Sanders out of free agency.
Insane man he will get picked up , hopefully by my ravens
— WhoisRuff ☄️🌍 (@RuffsBurner) August 24, 2025
“Insane man, he will get picked up, hopefully by my Ravens,” they said.
Other fans believe that the NFL has been looking for an excuse to cut Sanders, with one saying, “Sheesh def feel like they tryna target them but i knew this was comin soon as they ejected him for that swing. S**t weak tho fasho.”
Another person expressed a similar view, suggesting that the league was just waiting for Shilo or his brother, Shedeur, the rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, to make a mistake.
They just looking for them sanders boys to step wrong and they got a reason https://t.co/ZhdDXb2F0I
— Rick (@TjBucel) August 24, 2025
“They just looking for them Sanders boys to step wrong and they got a reason,” they said.
One more person added to the narrative, writing, “NFL was waiting on 1 of em to f**k up.”
Some fans believed that Sanders’s end with the Buccaneers was his own doing, with one person posting, “What a m**on. The rookie has a lot to prove and punches someone in a preseason game.”
While another fan chimed in, pointing out the foolishness of throwing a punch with so much at stake.
Football career on the line lemme throw a punch in preseason
— Nick🇨🇦⭐️ (@NoClient88) August 24, 2025
“Football career on the line lemme throw a punch in preseason,” they wrote.
While it appears most fans believe Tampa Bay made the wrong call, the reality is that Sanders likely faced an uphill battle to make the roster even without the punch incident.
Making an NFL roster as a UDFA is extremely difficult. Although Sanders had some standout moments in college, he was not a superstar. His athleticism is below average for the NFL, and as a 25-year-old rookie who has been playing in college since 2019, his ceiling is limited.
This does not necessarily mean his NFL career is over. Another team could pick him up as a free agent, but this outcome was always the most likely scenario for Sanders, as it is for nearly every undrafted free agent.
Daddy won’t bail you out of this one…