NEED TO KNOW
- Shilo Sanders’ NFL preseason ended faster than a Jake Paul fight promo
- Ref threw the flag before Sanders’ fist even landed
- Bucs reportedly calling Dana White about trade rights
The Wrong Ring
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie safety Shilo Sanders ended his preseason audition in the worst possible way: by swinging on Buffalo Bills tight end Zach Davidson in front of a referee standing two feet away. Davidson barely flinched. Instead, the 6-foot-7 tight end mocked Sanders with a “too small” gesture, which was both accurate and cruel. Watching the exchange, one couldn’t help but think Sanders might have shown more promise inside a boxing ring with Jake Paul than in an NFL secondary.
Jake Paul Crossover Incoming?
The incident instantly had fans on X speculating that Sanders should ditch the Bucs playbook for a boxing match on Paul’s next undercard. “He’s already got the technique: swing wildly and pray someone falls,” one user wrote. Insiders joked that Paul’s camp is reaching out to Sanders’ agent, because nothing says prime-time pay-per-view like an NFL washout with a famous dad. The fight could be billed as “Too Small: The Shilo Sanders Story.”
Bucs’ Depth Chart Chaos
Coach Todd Bowles said the punch was “inexcusable,” though he admitted privately it was the most aggression he’d seen from a Tampa Bay defender all preseason. With Sanders buried on the depth chart, his punch might end up being his only highlight in a Buccaneers uniform. Luckily, bankruptcy court doesn’t require good tackling form.
The Family Brand
The Sanders family isn’t new to spectacle. Deion Sanders once promised his kids wouldn’t have to be the best, only to give their best. Shilo might have taken that advice too literally. If Jake Paul can get a TikToker, a retired MMA fighter, and half of Cleveland to pay for a boxing card, Shilo Sanders’ brand of chaos might finally find its audience.
If the NFL doesn’t work out, he can always say he got ejected from football “to chase bigger fights.” Jake Paul would call that manifesting.
Gary “Two Flags” Robinson, NFL Officiating Retirees Association
