Saturday’s ejection reportedly proved to be costly for undrafted rookie Shilo Sanders.
After looking like he may have an outside shot at potentially making the Bucs roster this preseason, the former Colorado safety was tossed from last night’s game vs. the Bills for throwing a punch at Buffalo tight end Zach Davidson — putting his future in Tampa in jeopardy.
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This morning, ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported that the team informed Shilo that he’s being waived from the team and is no longer on an NFL roster.
“Buccaneers informed rookie safety Shilo Sanders today that he is being waived, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, who added, ‘we’re hoping he gets claimed on waivers,'” the insider posted to X.
Aug 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) takes the field for warmups before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Fans react to Sanders getting cut
Shilo’s exit from the Bucs drew a number of reactions from folks around the league who had been following the story for the last 24 hours.
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“Sucks because the community loved the kid. But you just can’t do that. Definitely not as an undrafted rookie trying to make a team. We all have pride and egos, but time and place,” Mike Ginn said.
“Browns have the chance to do the funniest thing,” Danny Cunningham replied.
“Get the streaming equipment ready man,” a fan commented.
“Could be a signal that San Antonio’s Rashad Wisdom has made the Bucs 53 man roster. I would think practice squad at the very least,” WOAI’s Don Harris shared.
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“While everyone debates whether or not Shilo Sanders should have been ejected, I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of punching a dude in the head while he’s wearing a helmet,” Greg Vorse pointed out.
Todd Bowles comments
Head coach Todd Bowles described the incident as “inexcusable” following the game.
“You can’t throw punches in this league — that’s inexcusable,” the coach explained. “They’re going to get you every time. You’ve got to grow from that.”
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Shilo finishes his short-lived stint in Tampa with four solo tackles across all of his preseason playing time.
Given his pedigree, it’s possible another team takes a flier on the 25-year-old safety — but his NFL chances were already pretty slim when he went undrafted out of college.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.