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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released safety Shilo Sanders on Sunday, coming just hours after he was ejected for throwing a punch in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. The timing of the release raises further questions about his future in the NFL.
As reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Buccaneers informed Sanders on Sunday morning that he was being cut from the team and wouldn’t make their 53-man roster.
“We’re hoping he gets claimed on waivers.”
Agent Drew Rosenhaus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers releasing Shilo Sanders (via Adam Schefter)
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During Saturday night’s game, Sanders was being blocked by Bills tight end Zach Davidson. After the play was over, Davidson continued to push Sanders down the field even after the whistle blew. The two players got into it, as a referee approached, when Sanders swung a punch at Davidson’s head. He was immediately ejected.
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
In his post-game press conference, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles called Sanders’ actions inexcusable. While the rookie safety might’ve been pushed and provoked by Davidson after the whistle blew, NFL officials are most often going to flag the player who retaliates.
“You can’t throw punches in this league. That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on Shilo Sanders throwing a punch
Just a few weeks prior, Sanders earned praise from Bowles and seemed to at least have an outside shot of making the Buccaneers’ roster. However, he didn’t really stand out during his action in the preseason, and the punch seemed to be the final straw for the team.
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All 32 NFL teams are required to submit their 53-man rosters to the league by 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Considering that Sanders was cut by Tampa Bay more than 48 hours in advance of that deadline, it seems unlikely that he’s even under consideration to be part of the Buccaneers’ practice squad.
As for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he completed just 3-of-6 passes in the team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie quarterback was sacked five times, finishing with more lost yards on sacks (41) than passing yards on 11 dropback attempts. However, the Browns have indicated they’d like to keep all four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.
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