In his final chance to make an impression on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before roster cuts had to be made, former Colorado defensive back Shilo Sanders made a critical mistake that ended his night early.
Sanders found himself in an altercation with Buffalo Bills TE Zach Davidson. Getting tangled up happens in the NFL, but Sanders made a big mistake by throwing a punch. That punch earned him an automatic ejection, ending his night and his short career with the Buccaneers.
On Sunday, less than a day after Sanders was ejected from Tampa's final preseason game, the Buccaneers waived him as they prepare to trim the roster down to 53 before Tuesday's deadline. Sanders was almost certainly on the path to getting cut anyway as an undrafted free agent who had done little to stand out during Training Camp and the Preseason, but he removed any pause the organization may have had.
"Well, you can't throw punches in this league. That's inexcusable," Bowles said about Sanders' ejection after the game. "They're going to get you every time. You've got to grow from that."
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.” pic.twitter.com/b81byFvdJR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
Shilo Sanders is likely heading toward a practice squad
Though Sanders' agents are hopeful he is going to get claimed off waivers, that seems pretty unlikely at this stage. Sanders had some moments during Training Camp where he earned praise from Tampa Bay's coaches, but in live game action, he did little to make himself stand out. Sanders finished with just three total tackles in three preseason appearances.
As an undrafted free agent, Sanders always faced an uphill battle to have a legitimate shot at making the roster. His NFL journey probably isn't over yet, though. He's likely to find an opportunity on a practice squad somewhere, perhaps even with Tampa Bay, if he chooses to accept that kind of role.
If Sanders can catch on with a practice squad somewhere, it's possible that he'll have an opportunity somewhere down the line to make his NFL debut this season.
Sanders created value for himself last season in Boulder to get on NFL radars. He finished the season third on the team with 67 tackles and was a starter on a defense that took a massive leap forward and helped Colorado to a five-win improvement.