This isn't the right way to make the team.
Shilo Sanders ejected for throwing a punch while fighting for Buccaneers roster spot originally appeared on The Sporting News
Shilo Sanders is fighting for a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster.
The rookie safety out of Colorado may have taken that word too literally.
On Saturday night, the undrafted son of Deion Sanders found himself in a scuffle with Buffalo Bills tight end Zach Davidson. The two were tangled up at the end of a play with some pushing and shoving.
Shilo had the last word, although it's one he probably wishes never happened. He threw a strong right-handed punch, earning himself an immediate ejection.
MORE: Shilo Sanders sets major goal for first NFL season
Here's video of the incident:
Buccaneers rookie DB Shilo Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch at Bills TE Zach Davidson. pic.twitter.com/OY7vSA8u3x
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
Even off the field, this wouldn't be a great fight to pick. Davidson is massive at 6-foot-7.
But on the field, it's an even worse choice. This is the final weekend of the preseason, the last chance Shilo has to prove to the Buccaneers (or any other team in the NFL if he's cut) that he deserves to be on a 53-man roster to open the regular season.
Shilo has fought an uphill all summer, as almost all undrafted players do. Head coach Todd Bowles has said positive things about the rookie, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was guaranteed any kind of real roster spot.
MORE: Will the Browns cut Shedeur Sanders?
Every moment counts, and on the fringes of a roster, a punch and ejection like this could prove the difference between making a team and not.
It was a brutal day for the Sanders family all around.
Shedeur played his final preseason game for the Browns but passed for just 14 yards and was sacked five times, including an inside 24-yard loss on one of the sacks.
MORE: Fans react to the worst Shedeur Sanders sack
Both brothers have fallen further than folks expected before the draft.
Shedeur was a projected first-round pick who went in the fifth. Shilo was a projected fifth-round pick who wasn't drafted at all.
They've got a great pedigree, although some worry that their father is too outspoken in a way that hasn't helped their causes.
Regardless, cutdown day is Tuesday. That's when initial 53-man rosters have to be set.
Shedeur is probably more safe than Shilo, but after a rough Saturday, there'll be a lot of nervous energy in the Sanders family, because nothing is a given right now.
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