For Shilo Sanders, each snap in Tampa Bay’s preseason was of disproportionate significance. The undrafted rookie defensive back reported to camp with an uphill climb for a roster spot. Relying not just on his famous last name but also on glimpses of his own ability to make the cut. As the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and brother of the Browns’ quarterback Shedeur, the glare on him was always going to be brighter. However, while the spotlight initially built up hype for him, Saturday night’s game versus the Buffalo Bills put him into sportlight for all the wrong reasons.

Midway through the second quarter, Sanders was ejected for punching Bills’ tight end Zach Davidson. The brawl occurred deep in Tampa territory with the Bills ready to make their 7-3 advantage even more substantial. Sanders and Davidson were matched up covering one another in the defensive back battles. But when the rookie lost his cool and punched at Davidson’s helmet, the flag came right behind. He was penalized for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the competition straight away, bringing an unceremonious closure to his tryout in front of the Buccaneers’ coaching staff.

The accident was baffling on several levels. Sanders had never had a reputation as a hothead in college or in previous training camp sessions. In addition, this was his final opportunity to impress head coach Todd Bowles before roster cutdowns. Instead, his night ended in frustration, and his chances of making the cut took a big hit. Bowles was visibly dissatisfied with Shilo’s reaction, shaking his head as Sanders made his way down the long walk to the locker room. For a young defender already on the fringe, losing his grip in a situation like that couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

Also adding to the letdown was that Sanders had already had an early game struggle. He slipped in coverage a couple of times, missed a couple of tackles, and wobbled when put to the test in space. Statistically, his preseason had been quiet. In three preseason games, Sanders accumulated only 3 total tackles, no sacks, forced fumbles, or interceptions. That made this last exhibition that much more significant. Being an undrafted rookie, he had to prove himself. Sanders needed a clean, disciplined performance to bolster his practice squad push. Instead, the punch overshadowed any possibility of recovery from those mistakes, raising only questions about his temperament and judgment.

The NFL world blew up over Shilo Sanders’ ejection

While Sanders’ ejection infuriated Bowles and the Buccaneers, it downright infuriated the NFL world observing from afar. Fans piled on quickly, voicing their reactions across social media.

“What a way to start a career. He won’t be in the league too much longer if that continues,” one fan commented. He summed up the overall sentiment that discipline, and not athletic ability, can be what holds fringe players in the NFL. In the harsh realities of roster cuts, undrafted rookies simply can’t afford to have emotional meltdowns. It also reflected the common feeling among fans that Sanders may have just thrown away the slim chance of making the cut wih this incident.

Another common response read: “Must’ve thought he was back in the boxing ring instead of the football field.” While coated with humor, the comment echoes the sentiment most fans have about this incident. In football, it’s an automatic penalty and expulsion for attempting to punch someone.

The user went beyond this incident and targeted the entire Sanders family. ”Common thug behavior from the Sanders family.” Attempting to conflate Shilo’s mistake with larger narratives about the bombast of his father and the brashness of his brother, Shedeur. Whether accurate or not, it underscored the way that the family name goes both ways: fame generates possibilities, but it brings extreme criticism for every misstep.

“Shilo is about to get disowned 😂😂”, one said, mixing humor and uncertainty about how Deion Sanders, who has insisted on discipline and responsibility in Colorado, would take his son’s error. The joke went around not because people actually believed Deion would turn his back on Shilo. But because it rode the wave of greater scrutiny that went along with the family name.

Ultimately, Sanders’ preseason game left more questions than answers. The ejection will not merely be remembered as a momentary mistake. It may define his NFL outlook in the short term. Even before Saturday, being on the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster had appeared uncertain. But the practice squad was in sight. It would have been a stepping stone employed by dozens of undrafted players to build careers. Now, his destiny hangs not on sports potential but on whether the Buccaneers and Bowles believe one error can be forgiven.