Headlines have chased brothers Shilo Sanders and Shedeur Sanders ever since the 2025 draft. Shedeur is currently sidelined by Kevin Stefanski after suffering an oblique injury during joint practice against the Eagles on August 13. His brother, Shilo, on the other hand, has been drawing autograph seekers everywhere since he joined Tampa Bay. “Y’all aren’t waiting on me, are you? I didn’t know y’all was waiting on me,” Sanders said, stunned after a summer practice as his fame grew larger. But while the spotlight brought praise, the story inside Raymond James Stadium told something darker. By the second quarter of their preseason finale against Buffalo, Tampa Bay had already piled up costly penalties, and this particular one surrounding Sanders might prove the most damaging headline yet as they push forward.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on X, “Buccaneers rookie DB Shilo Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch at Bills TE Zach Davidson.”

The scuffle between Sanders and Davidson unfolded away from a short 1-yard completion from Shane Buechele to Elijah Moore. Davidson’s initial block attempt barely connected, but he kept shoving and lunging at Sanders before grabbing the defender’s helmet. As Davidson’s right arm swung past Sanders’ head, Sanders rose from a crouch and delivered a punch to the facemask. A referee trailing the play spotted it immediately and tossed the flag.

This might be a cross for Sanders to bear as franchises across the league are set to announce their 53-man rosters next week, and Sanders has yet to claim a spot for himself. Davidson, who avoided a penalty, added insult after the scuffle with Sanders by flashing a ‘too small’ gesture. Sanders, listed at 6 feet and 196 pounds, looked undersized against Davidson, who stands 6-foot-7 and 251 pounds. Yikes! But losing his cool may prove far more damaging for Sanders than the size insult thrown in the middle of a heated game.

The Buccaneers’ secondary leaves little room for error, with Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith locked in as starting safeties. The real fight sits in the depth chart behind them, where Sanders is battling Kaevon Merriweather and Marcus Banks for a backup strong safety spot. He is also contending with fellow undrafted rookie J.J. Roberts, who currently has an edge thanks to his versatility, a trait valued by Tampa’s coaching staff.

The Sanders family has carried headlines all offseason, but the spotlight has not always been kind.  After Shedeur’s breakout debut against the Panthers, Shilo’s ejection and uncertain standing leave the family’s NFL story hanging on uneven ground. Fans of Sanders Nation have voiced frustration seeing Shedeur not being able to catch a break!

Shedeur Sanders’ uncertain future in the Browns’ depth chart

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry confirmed on Saturday that the team is comfortable carrying four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster. Shedeur Sanders struggled in the preseason matchup against the Rams, but still expects to secure one of those roster spots. “Obviously,” he said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. Sanders finished the night completing 3-of-6 passes for 14 yards while taking five sacks across five second-half drives.

The starting job is not within Sanders’ reach right now, as veteran Joe Flacco has firmly taken over QB1 duties as Sanders recovers from his injury. Questions about Flacco’s age continue to linger, which could create opportunities down the line. If the veteran falters, either Dillon Gabriel or Sanders could be called upon to keep the offense steady and the franchise moving forward.

One boost for Sanders has been the arrival of Tyler Huntley, who has spent most of his career as a reliable backup. Sanders credited Huntley for providing perspective as he adjusts to life behind the starters. “I’m thankful that (Tyler) Huntley here, I would say, because he gave me a perspective of quarterback that I feel like I needed,” Sanders said. “I feel like God sent him here for a reason, honestly, just to talk and to be like a guy, be like a mentor toward me and his career also. But being in that backup role, he faced that also in his career and he just gave me the mentality on what I need to do and how I need to stay on top of everything. Just, you know, just helping me out throughout everything.”

September will be an interesting time at the Sanders household as both brothers have uncertainty to look forward to.