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Shilo Sanders punch row: Zach Davidson appears to taunt Bucs star's ejection with ‘too small’ gesture
Zach Davidson went after Shilo Sanders and the Buccaneers with his ‘too small’ celebration soon after the Tampa Bay safety was ejected
Zach Davidson went after Shilo Sanders and the Buccaneers with his ‘too small’ celebration soon after the Tampa Bay safety was ejected from Saturday's preseason game for throwing a punch. The gesture caught fans' attention, with some slamming Davidson for mocking Sanders. Neither the Bucs nor the safety has issued a statement on the controversial ejection yet.
Undrafted rookie Sanders, son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is fighting to secure a spot on the Buccaneers’ roster, but hurt his chances in the preseason opener. After being flagged for pass interference earlier, he was ejected in the second half for throwing a punch at Davidson following a brief shoving match.
Davidson reminded Sanders of his ejection with a special celebration.
“Don’t let the non-controversy about the Shiloh Sanders suspension distract you from the perfectly timed ‘too small’ celebration from Zach Davidson. All-time preseason performance from him today,” Heath Cummings of CBS Sports wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Other fans questioned why Davidson was not sent out, like Sanders. “Here is another angle of the Shilo Sanders ejection. You can see Zach Davidson climb to the facemask, which is what Todd Bowles was arguing to the refs afterwards,” one person tweeted.
“So you clearly watch Zach Davidson throw the first licks and wait for Shilo to swing back to throw the flag?” a second fan asked.
Shilo Sanders, a Colorado product known for his aggressive and playmaking style, had shown flashes in camp, yet faces steep competition in Tampa Bay’s secondary. His early exit could weigh heavily on coaches evaluating the roster.
It was also a rough outing for his brother, quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Drafted in the fifth round by the Browns, Shedeur managed just 14 yards on 3-of-6 passing and was sacked five times in limited action.
