Things are not looking bright for Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agent signee Shilo Sanders, as he faces a steep race against time to make the 53-man roster after his ejection in a recent preseason game. NFL teams need to trim down their roster from 90 players to 53 before Tuesday’s deadline.
During the Bucs’ preseason matchup, Sanders was ejected in the second quarter after throwing a punch at tight end Zach Davidson. The incident followed a pass interference penalty and a physical scuffle.
In the play, when the tight end came in contact with Shilo, the safety tried to grab, eliciting a push from Davidson. Before the officials broke up the scuffle, Shilo threw a punch at Davidson’s helmet.
Here is the play that got Shilo Sanders ejected. pic.twitter.com/7LRplnywzo
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 24, 2025
Head coach Todd Bowles called the altercation “inexcusable” and said:
“You can’t throw punches in this league. It’s inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time. You gotta grow from that.”
With final cuts looming, Sanders’ ejection couldn’t have come at a worse time. His aggressive reaction wouldn’t help his chances of making the final roster. There’s a good chance he may miss making the roster, which will put his football future in jeopardy.
How Shilo Sanders Performed in Preseason Games?
In order to know whether Shilo Sanders will make it to the final roster, it’s better to evaluate him through his preseason performance.
The safety made an impressive preseason debut for the Buccaneers against the Tennessee Titans, marked by an unblocked quarterback hit that forced an incompletion. He finished up the game with one solo tackle and logged 37 defensive snaps, allowing zero receptions. At the time, Todd Bowles praised his performance, calling it “tough.”
“He played tough,” Bucs coach said. “I thought he went in and did a heck of a job. He had some good tackles inside. He had a pressure on the quarterback as well. He did some good coverage things, so he did a good job when he was in there.”
Shilo Sanders also played in the team’s second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game was not particularly impressive, as he finished the game with two tackles but also missed two critical tackles.
Finally, in the last preseason game against the Bills, there was much to say about stats since he was ejected in the early part of the second quarter.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
