Shilo Sanders, NIL, lawsuit
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
August 25, 2025
'You can't throw punches in this league,' Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. 'I mean, that's inexcusable.'
Shilo Sanders was on the verge of securing a spot on an NFL roster until he got into a skirmish in the last preseason game, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave him his release papers, leaving him a free agent, but he may not be going anywhere.
According to USA Today, the undrafted football player was let go by the Buccaneers after they had to get their roster size down to 53 players by Aug. 26. The safety may get a chance to join the team’s practice squad, since they like his presence, although the fight may have sealed his fate.
After Sanders was ejected from the game against the Buffalo Bills, Aug. 23, when he threw a punch at the Bills’ tight end, Zach Davidson, in the second quarter of the contest, Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles was not happy with the incident.
“You can’t throw punches in this league,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “I mean, that’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.”
By releasing Sanders, the team saved $1,572.
Sanders, 25, didn’t get selected in the NFL draft in April but signed with the team as an undrafted free agent soon afterward. He was listed as a third-string safety before Saturday’s preseason game.
Although no NFL team selected Sanders, he was able to latch on to the Buccaneers when they signed him after the draft. His collegiate stats showed his game capabilities, but no reason was given for him not being picked by any team. He played for his NFL Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, and is the older brother of his star quarterback brother, Shedeur. After Sheduer was anticipated to land amongst the first three picks in the NFL Draft, he dropped and was finally picked in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
Shilo played at Jackson State University and the University of Colorado Boulder until he graduated this past summer.
As a free agent, he can go to any team that may need his football skills, although he may stay with Tampa Bay if they decide to use him as a practice player.
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