Shilo Sanders entered Saturday night fighting for a roster spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster. Ironically enough, a fight is what may have ended his chances of making the team.
During the Buffalo Bills’ 23-19 win over the Buccaneers on Saturday night, Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch at tight end Zach Davidson near the end zone. Sanders, frustrated at getting blocked down the field, threw a punch in front of two referees.
Davidson explained his side of what happened following the game. According to the tight end, he was just trying to finish his block through the whistle.
“I was just chasing the far back DB (defensive back) and trying to finish through the whistle and he had a little bit more to say,” Davidson told Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino.
After Sanders threw the punch, Davidson threw in the too-small gesture in the defensive back’s direction.
“I didn’t say anything,” Davidson added on what happened after the punch. “I may have gestured something, but if you get mad at getting blocked, I can’t really control what he does.”
Todd Bowles, head coach of the Buccaneers, called Sanders’ punch inexcusable.
“You can’t throw punches in this league,” Bowles said, via the team’s website. “That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.”
Whether or not Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, gets the chance to learn from this lesson with the Buccaneers is yet to be seen. He’s unlikely to make the 53-man roster, but could land on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.
In addition to playing tight end on Saturday night, Davidson also served as the Bills’ punter. Brad Robbins was dealing with an illness and only handled holding duties in the game.
Davidson thrived in his two punt opportunities. His first punt went 62 yards, while his second was a 42-yard punt that was fielded at the 10-yard line. Davidson even surprised himself on Saturday night as it was his first action as a punter since his college days.
“Damn, I didn’t know I still had it,” Davidson said smiling.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.