When you've only got one preseason game left to prove you belong on an NFL team's 53-man roster, you gotta pull out all the stops and leave everything on the grass. Well, Shilo Sanders may have just played himself off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a single non-football play.
During the team's third preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, the 25-year-old Colorado product and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders got into an altercation with opposing tight end Zach Davidson. The pair exchanged hands as the latter blocked down field, but Sanders took exception when Davidson's hands got up in his helmet and took a swing at his head.
Here is the play that got Shilo Sanders ejected. pic.twitter.com/7LRplnywzo
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 24, 2025
Sanders was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game for making contact with Davidson's head on the swing. Not a great look.
Shilo Sanders' temper may have cost him a spot on Buccaneers' roster
Sanders has been battling for a roster spot since going undrafted this past spring. He had an impressive debut in the first week of the preseason, logging a quarterback hit and a single tackle with what little action he saw.
“He played tough,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said then. “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.”
Whatever good grace he may have had with Bowles entering tonight's game may have evaporated because of his short temper. Although, he was seen arguing with the refs defending Sanders after he was ejected.
Since he's already on the cusp of being cut, every little detail matters when coaches have to make the tough choice when whittling down which guys get to stay around. Sanders could find himself on the practice squad and earn another opportunity to get back onto the roster but disciplinary issues don't bode well when you're trying to impress.