After an ugly end to his preseason in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will waive safety Shilo Sanders, who is hoping to have a job in the league before the regular season starts. According to the breaking news, the Buccaneers are moving on from Sanders, which isn’t a surprise stemming from a punch he threw at Buffalo Bills’ tight end Zach Davidson during this weekend’s preseason matchup. Despite that, the aggression and anger came from him being blocked even after the play was over, which triggered the former Colorado product. Head Coach Todd Bowles said the punch was inexcusable and in the NFL, they will “get you every time for it.”
It will be a learning lesson as Sanders’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is hoping that a team claims him off waivers, but that might not happen as of now, since he’ll likely become a free agent for a while. Originally selected as an undrafted rookie, Sanders was hoping to carve out a role with the Buccaneers, but given that Antoine Winfield Jr. and second-year Tykee Smith will get the starting reps, there wasn’t a real path for the young rookie to grow in this pass secondary. It’ll be interesting to see where Sanders’ career goes from here, since he did impress Bowles either way as having one of the brightest minds in the league. The praise alone could buy him another chance with these five teams.
Buccaneers Waive Troubled Rookie Shilo Sanders; 5 Suitors Emerge
Next Possible Teams
Minnesota Vikings
With the Minnesota Vikings having one of the most talented secondaries in the league, this is an opportunity for Sanders to thrive and learn from some of the greats. This could include long-time veteran Harrison Smith, who has been in his league for several years. Given that they’re signing Joshua Metellus to a long-term deal, the Vikings’ safety unit should be phenomenal for a while. Sanders probably won’t start for the next few years, but this might be a learning opportunity for him to get better.
Carolina Panthers
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers made a huge investment in Tre’Von Moehrig this offseason, signing him to a huge contract. Despite that, they haven’t really got anybody else. Between Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson in the cornerback room, there is room for improvement. Nick Scott probably won’t replicate the same energy as Moehrig, so perhaps they could take on Sanders on a budget-friendly deal where he could find a role in Carolina.
Buffalo Bills
As long as Cole Bishop can stay healthy, the Buffalo Bills easily have one of the deepest safety units in football. Between Taylor Rapp, Cam Lewis and Damar Hamlin, these three have shown what it takes to stop an offensive pass game, especially against the Ravens this past postseason. Sanders could learn a couple of things here, as long as he can be on good behavior.
Chicago Bears
So much of the attention for the Chicago Bears has been on offense and their offensive line for quarterback Caleb Williams. Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker won’t receive fewer snaps, but they do need the depth to test the waters. Sanders doesn’t need to be a second-stringer to make an impact, but the Bears should roll the dice on him to see what kind of potential he has.
Washington Commanders
However, the Washington Commanders are probably the team that can shape Sanders and turn his NFL career around. After undergoing the transition of new ownership, this roster looks like it wants to win sooner rather than later. Even though they have Will Harris and Quan Martin as reliable starters, it’s never a bad thing to start thinking about filling in depth behind them, since the Commanders did sign Daryl Worley earlier this week for that reason.
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