Todd Bowles reacts to Shilo Sanders ejection after throwing punch

by: Dan Morrison 29 minutes ago dan_morrison96

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) lines up against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills’ preseason game went sideways on Saturday night when Buccaneers rookie Shilo Sanders was ejected for throwing a punch. That came as Sanders is batting to make it to the active roster going into the next season.

On the play, Bills tight end  Zach Davidson blocked Shilo Sanders downfield. He took him away from the play and toward the end zone, far beyond where the play ended. That drew the ire of Sanders, particularly after the final shove. So, he responded by swinging back and throwing a punch. The referees had a good view of that, and flags quickly came out, getting him tossed.

Here is the play that got Shilo Sanders ejected. pic.twitter.com/7LRplnywzo

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 24, 2025

After the game, Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles was critical of the play. He shared that he felt that the actions Sanders showed were inexcusable.

“You can’t throw punches in this league,” Todd Bowles said. “That’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. Gotta grow from that.”

This comes at a precarious moment for Shilo Sanders. He went to Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent this year. He’s also already 25 years old, which is far from young for an NFL rookie. He’s also been teetering around the cut line for the final 53-man roster. So, it leaves a bad final impression during preseason action to get ejected. He’d finish the preseason with four tackles.

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