On August 31, Shilo Sanders was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after competing in fall camp and preseason. This was due to his ejection in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL fined the young safety $4,669 for throwing a punch. However, new reports indicate the roster move had more to do with cap and depth issues than the punch.
According to Brad Crawford of CBS Sports, Sanders’ release was a numbers game.
“Sanders was competing in fall camp and during the preseason in a deep secondary for the Buccaneers and would’ve likely been a roster casualty regardless of his ejection in last week’s finale.”
While the altercation and subsequent $4,669 fine didn’t help, it was allegedly not the deciding factor. The Buccaneers were likely to let him go anyway. Also, Sanders received just $1,572 for the preseason, showcasing the harsh realities of life as an undrafted free agent. Per Spotrac, the 25-year-old had signed a three-year, $2.965M deal (annual salary $988,333).
Shilo Sanders’ father, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, is going through a challenging time himself – a 27-20 Colorado loss to Georgia Tech. However, he addressed the situation during a press conference, trying to support his son.
“All of the Sanders’ are gonna be straight, with or without football.”
Shilo, a three-star signee who started at South Carolina before following his father to Jackson State and Colorado, now faces an uncertain NFL future. Although he did mention on Instagram, after his release, that if it doesn’t work out for him in the league, he’d likely consider other career options like music, modeling, or acting.
The ejection against the Bills was one headline, sure. But it seems like roster depth, salary cap considerations, and the competitiveness of Tampa Bay’s secondary ultimately sealed his fate.
Shedeur Sanders and Coach Prime Rally Around Shilo Sanders
After a tough Colorado loss and his brother Shilo Sanders’ NFL setback, Shedeur Sanders sent a short, powerful message to the family. He wrote in the family group chat [Marca]:
“As SANDERS MEN, we have to regroup.”
The text was private but meaningful. Meanwhile, Coach Prime also took to his Instagram on September 1, sharing a post that said,
“Keep going don’t stop, keep fighting don’t give up, keep working don’t quit & keep your focus & don’t get distracted! The key is to keep moving. The enemy can’t hit a moving target. Ignore the noise it’s meant to distract u. You got this baby let’s go. #CoachPrime”
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Amid criticism over the loss, changes at quarterback, and Shilo’s early NFL struggles, the Sanders family leaned on unity.
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