Shilo Sanders picked the worst possible moment to lose control. Halfway through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final preseason tune-up vs the Buffalo Bills, he tangled with tight end Zach Davidson and, in a flash of frustration, took a swing. The flag came out, the ejection followed, and Sanders was disqualified, as the Bills’ tight end celebrated by hitting the 6-foot Sanders with the “too small” gesture. While another angle of the altercation reportedly showed Davidson inserting his fingers into Sanders’ facemask during the confrontation, Sanders, already fighting for survival, might have swung himself right out of a job. And also, a hefty monetary repercussion.

The NFL does not treat fighting lightly, and throwing a punch at an opponent falls into one of the steepest penalty categories. Yet, there’s two ways this can go. First: Sanders was ejected for unnecessary roughness, which comes under a personal foul. As per the league’s schedule of infractions and fines, under that section, he can either be tagged under the ‘Striking/Kicking/Tripping/Kneeing’ category that incurs a first offense penalty of $12,172, and a second offense constituting $17,968. Now, in case the NFL decides to go toward a more severe route, and tags him under the ‘Fighting’ section, the safety could see a fine as steep as $40,686 (first offense). A second? $81,374. For a safety still searching for a foothold in the league and the team, that looming fine could turn out to be more than a slap on the wrist.

And even his head coach knows that. Amid arguing that Davidson should’ve been flagged, too, Todd Bowles stated during a post-game conversation, “You can’t throw punches in this league. I mean, that’s inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time. Gotta grow from that.” Notably, Sanders also drew a defensive pass interference call in the first quarter. What’s more? In 2023, during his time in Colorado, the player was ejected after a targeting penalty for delivering a big hit on UCLA running back Carsen Ryan just before halftime. On that occasion, Sanders’ helmet had hit Ryan in the lower part of his facemask. Coupled with the latest controversy, the pattern certainly doesn’t look good.

So, naturally, the 25-year-old finds himself in a precarious situation this preseason. He’s competing for a spot on the team’s 53-man roster alongside Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom, to become the fourth and final safety behind Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith and Christian Izien. The 25-year-old has racked up three tackles across his three preseason games, as opposed to Merriweather’s 10, including leading the team with seven tackles in the latest clash, tying cornerback Tre Avery. Wisom, on the other hand, has 12 (8 solo+4 assist) tackles to his name this preseason.

Unfortunately, the Bucs didn’t just lose a safety for the night; they lost a chance to evaluate him. Sanders’ ejection might have erased whatever chance he was hoping to make the final roster as per many. Practice squad? Maybe, but even that feels uncertain now. NFL front offices forgive missed tackles, blown assignments, and even slow development. What they rarely forgive is the kind of self-inflicted mistake that forces everyone else to scramble.

That’s exactly what Sanders did in Buffalo, and it could be the moment that defines his Tampa Bay tenure.

Shilo Sanders puts the Bucs HC in a tough spot

Todd Bowles fumed on the sidelines. With Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith not active, Bowles was already walking a tightrope at safety. Sanders’ ejection cut the rope completely. The head coach had to turn to rookie Will Brooks, a player signed on Monday, just to finish out the game. Bowles was utterly disappointed.

Throwing Brooks into live action in a preseason finale wasn’t part of the plan; it was Bowles’ only option. The Buccaneers had placed safety J.J. Roberts on injured reserve in conjunction with Brooks’ signing. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Brooks participated as a tryout candidate during the Bucs’ May minicamp after initially joining the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following his collegiate career at Tennessee.

So now Sanders stands at a crossroads. He’ll almost certainly be fined, and his NFL reputation has taken a hit before it ever really began. For the Buccaneers, this may have been the final straw. Because, in this league, sometimes all it takes is a single punch.