Shedeur and Shilo Sanders have been two compelling stories to follow as the summer unfolded. Shedeur was drafted in the fifth round, despite being projected as a second-round pick at worst. Shilo, on the other hand, went undrafted but signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Shilo was performing well during training camp and preseason games. However, in his final appearance, he was ejected for throwing punches—an incident that didn’t sit well with Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.
“You can’t throw punches in this league. That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that,” Bowles said.
Just a day after the ejection, Sanders was cut by the Buccaneers. Now without a team, he’s reflecting on his next move—even if it doesn’t involve football.
“I’ll be talking to my agent and we’re waiting on the next opportunity. If that’s in the NFL, cool, but God has blessed me with a lot of talent to do things other than football,” Sanders said.
Sanders currently finds himself without a job and unsure about the next chapter of his life. It’s an uncertain and difficult place to be, especially considering how central football has been to him. And while he may never play in the NFL again, the league still handed him a fine for the incident.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“Shilo Sanders was cut by the Buccaneers and hasn’t signed with any other team, and he may never get another NFL job. But he is getting a fine from the league office. Sanders was fined $4,669 for throwing a punch in the Bucs’ preseason finale, according to multiple reports,” Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith wrote.
The NFL takes ejections seriously—but getting fined after being cut adds insult to injury. While Sanders doesn’t yet know what his future holds, a $4,669 penalty is immediately on the horizon. If this marks the end of his NFL career, it’s a conclusion that could weigh heavily on him. Ironically, Sanders may have paid more in fines than he ever earned during his short NFL stint.