One swing is all it took to change the tone of Shilo Sanders’ journey in the NFL. During a 2025 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 23, Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch at Zach Davidson. It was a moment that ultimately ended things between him and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the NFL fining him $4,669 for the incident. Now months have stretched out, and still Deion Sanders’ son hasn’t found his next home. And it seems like he is looking for a way out now.

Undrafted in 2025 after stints at South Carolina, Jackson State, and Colorado, Sanders briefly landed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent, but the opportunity faded before it ever truly settled. Now, with time passing and no NFL call coming through, he’s already begun thinking of alternative futures.

“If I don’t get picked up by a team, I’m either going to take boxing seriously or I’m going to try to play basketball overseas,” said Sanders in a TikTok livestream. And if you are to look at the books, maybe the punch incident was not the only reason why the NFL is closing the doors on him.

Apart from the punch incident, Shilo Sanders also made headlines for passing alleged sexist comments towards reporter Mary Kay Cabot. The incident was reported on April 30, 2026, where Shilo appeared visibly fuming at Cabot for reporting that his younger brother, Shedeur Sanders, isn’t leading the competition to become the Browns’ starting quarterback.

“Go make a sandwich, Mary,” Shilo replied on Instagram.

While many called out Shilo for the sexist and unprofessional comments, the former Colorado safety maintained his stance and questioned Cabot’s reporting. As far as him transitioning to a different sport, it is not far from impossible.

Former Dallas Cowboys safety Ed Jones stands as one of the prime examples. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, but shortly after he also made his professional boxing debut against Abraham Yaqui Meneses in 1979. He went 6-0 in pro-boxing before returning to football in 1980.

Meanwhile, when it comes to exhibition bouts, Bengals legend Chad Johnson fought Brian Maxwell on June 6, 2021, in the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul. So, for Shilo Sanders, he has multiple NFL stars as an example of how transitioning to boxing unfolds.

The number of players who move from football to basketball is quite rare, despite there being many debates of players from the respective sports about which is tougher to play. Former Carolina Panthers WR Devin Funchess officially moved to professional basketball in 2024. He signed with the Caribbean Storm Islands of the Basketball League of Colombia. However, Sanders has not made an official announcement about it. However, he does have credentials to make the move.

Sanders was a boxing champion in his youth. He has often been seen in videos displaying speed and sharp movements in the ring, which is why he stated his interest in becoming a boxer. While there is no evidence of him playing basketball, videos of him on the court with his sister, Shelomi Sanders, made rounds online. His sister currently plays for the women’s basketball team at Alabama.

Currently, the former Colorado safety is involved in a bankruptcy case, which is an addition to the list of controversies he has been involved in.

Inside Shilo Sanders $11.89 legal Storm

Shilo Sanders is just 26 but has faced several significant controversies spanning his personal conduct, legal battles, and professional behavior. His most recent headlines involve a bankruptcy trial following an $11 million debt judgment.

The controversy surrounding the bankruptcy trial stems from a 2015 incident. Sanders was 15 back then, when he allegedly assaulted high school security guard John Darjean during a dispute over a cell phone. As a result, the security guard filed a lawsuit against him. In 2022, a Texas court awarded Darjean an $11.89 million default judgment after Shilo failed to appear for the trial.

To avoid paying the $11.89M debt, Shilo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2023. As things stand, the bankruptcy trial is scheduled to begin on August 31, 2026, in Denver. The proceedings are estimated to last five days and will be overseen by Judge Michael Romero.

However, before that, Sanders’ attorney filed several “motions in limine” a few days back. This was done to restrict evidence regarding his juvenile disciplinary history, including time spent at a detention facility. They saw it as an important step to prevent jurors from seeing information that could unfairly influence their perception of Sanders.