Going into the final preseason week, Tampa Bay HC Todd Bowles had already emphasized the importance of the stretch. But during their Saturday night preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, rookie safety Shilo Sanders had undone all his hard work. Late in the second quarter, Bills’ TE Zach Davidson was aggressively blocking Sanders. It prompted the latter to throw a punch and get ejected from the game.

Before that, his preseason numbers tipped the scales in his favor as he competed for a spot in the practice squad or the fourth spot to back up Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, and Christian Izien. He might’ve made it too. But all hopes were gone when, not 24 hours after that game, the Bucs waived the undrafted safety out of Colorado. Although his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, still wished for him to return to Florida, Sanders’ latest move suggests otherwise.

On Tuesday, fans noticed that Shilo Sanders had unfollowed the Buccaneers’ Instagram page. The former Bucs may have taken this step when he did not hear from the team after the Wednesday roster cut deadline. This is also a little surprising since Bowles praised Sanders before the preseason finale, as he told ESPN, “Shilo’s very aggressive, very young, very hungry. He can make plays in the box and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up.”

Despite the inexcusable behavior, as Bowles put it, the HC did argue with the referees for not throwing the flag when Davidson was being overly aggressive with Sanders. Still, the Bucs wouldn’t have allowed such ill-advised moments to become highlights for their team and cut Sanders for good. The safety, however, hasn’t lost hope in the NFL.

After Sanders was cut, he stated, “I feel like this is just part of my story to grow and do bigger and better things. Whether it’s finding another team or getting another opportunity in the NFL.” He had also hinted at other career trajectories that he might hop into. “The NFL is just, they call it ‘not for long’ league, nothing’s ever certain. Even if you make the team, it’s not certain, so you always want to — not really have a backup plan — but you always want to have other interests. I’ve always done that my whole life, playing football with music, acting, modeling. I’m well-versed, and my parents made sure of that.”

Sanders also posted a video on his namesake YouTube channel, addressing his situation. He acknowledged, “Y’all know I’m lucky to even get a shot. Y’all saw what happened with Shedeur, so I knew what was going to happen to me going undrafted,” he said, referencing his brother’s draft experience.

For Shedeur as well, the draft experience was forgettable. He was projected as a first-day pick but slid to the fifth day as a backup in the Cleveland Browns’ brimming QB room. But while Shedeur Sanders has now successfully made it to the 53-man roster for the Browns, Shilo will need to look for other options.

The Toronto Argonauts acquired Sanders’ negotiating rights, offering a potential lifeline in the Canadian Football League. Toronto also holds his brother Shedeur’s rights, creating an intriguing family reunion possibility North of the border. But Sanders faces a critical decision about whether CFL football represents a stepping stone back to the NFL or an admission that his American football dreams died with that punch.

Shilo Sanders isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. After a possible NFL exit, Sanders is exploring entertainment opportunities that could pay the bills. Music, modeling, and acting all became viable options. He has played a young Deion Sanders on “BMF,” proving his real acting chops.

The harsh reality facing Sanders involves accepting that football might not define his future anymore. Sanders transformed his career-ending mistake into motivation for exploring untapped potential in the entertainment industry, where second chances exist more frequently than in professional football. But who knows, maybe all the hard work he put in during the training camps and preseason might gain the attention of some NFL team.