The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have waived rookie safety Shilo Sanders, according to multiple reports Sunday.
Sanders, the son of Colorado head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and brother of rookie Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, signed with Tampa Bay in April as an undrafted free agent. Despite his high-profile pedigree, Sanders will not make the Buccaneers’ final 53-man roster.
Like his brother, Sanders played at Colorado under his father before entering the NFL draft. His agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter they are hopeful another team will claim him off waivers.
The roster move comes less than 24 hours after Sanders was ejected from Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. The 24-year-old safety was flagged for unnecessary roughness after throwing a punch at Bills tight end Zach Davidson, who had delivered a rough block on the play. An official standing nearby immediately penalized Sanders and ejected him.
Sanders entered camp buried on Tampa Bay’s depth chart as a third-string safety. While it remains unclear if the altercation played a role in the decision to release him, head coach Todd Bowles made his stance clear following the game.
“You can’t throw punches in this league. I mean, that’s inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time. Gotta grow from that,” Bowles said in his postgame press conference.
The Buccaneers must finalize their 53-man roster ahead of the NFL’s deadline this week. Sanders’ NFL future will now depend on whether another team claims him or signs him once he clears waivers.
