Deion Sanders' Kid Is Out of a Job

Shilo Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and brother of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, has been released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of the NFL's required league-wide cuts to get preseason rosters down to 53 players this week, USA Today reports. The move follows Sanders' ejection from the Bucs' final preseason game Saturday for throwing a punch at Buffalo's Zach Davidson—a lapse Tampa head coach Todd Bowles called "inexcusable," adding, "You can't throw punches in this league." Fox News says the two players were "engaged" for a few yards before the punch was thrown.

Sanders, 25, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent this spring after a college career that started at South Carolina and included stops at Jackson State and Colorado, where he played for his father. Known for his aggressive play, Sanders led Colorado in tackles in the 2023 season and has earned a reputation as a physical safety, despite injuries that sidelined him for part of 2024.

His NFL prospects aren't over just yet; Sanders could land on Tampa Bay's practice squad or possibly find a better fit elsewhere. Off the field, he faces ongoing legal and financial difficulties, including more than $11 million in debt related to a 2015 altercation at his Dallas school, which resulted in a lawsuit and bankruptcy filing last year. Sanders claimed the altercation was self-defense; the court sided with former school security guard John Darjean, who said he was attacked by Sanders and suffered permanent injuries.