LB Lavonte David: “I’d Love To Retire As A Buccaneer”

With Tom Brady announcing his retirement last week, the Bucs have one other veteran free agent to make a decision about this offseason. That, of course, is linebacker Lavonte David, a longtime defensive captain who has starred for Tampa Bay from 2012-2022.

David just turned 33 years old, so his career is likely winding down. But as he showed in 2022, he can still play at a high level. He might not be the splashy playmaker he was in the early years of his career, but he has been as steady as ever even as he’s played into his 30s. In fact, he was the most consistent Buccaneer defender this past season, and his team-high Pro Football Focus grade of 85.1 backs that up.

So, what does the future look like for David? He joined Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi on the Ronnie & TKras Show on WDAE from Radio Row at the Super Bowl on Thursday, and he made it clear that he wants to be “Lavonte David: Career Buccaneer.”

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

David said he hasn’t spoken with the Bucs yet, but expects that he’ll hear from them sometime soon. He alluded to how busy they are right now given the retirement of Brady, their search for a new offensive coordinator and their quest to find a new quarterback.

“Right now, I’m just enjoying this time off. Just getting my body back right. I’ll probably start back training really going hard pretty soon. Spending time with my wife and daughter. Getting the chance to go on vacations possibly,” David said. “I haven’t really got a chance to talk to the Bucs about stuff like that. At the same time, they’ve got a lot of stuff going on anyway. So, you’ve definitely got to give them that time.

“But I’m pretty sure they’ll probably hit me up whenever they kind of settle down. Because obviously, I would love to be back in Tampa. I played 11 years there. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. But I’m not naïve to the business side of football. So, I’m definitely grateful for whatever happens after.”

Lavonte David Wants To Join Derrick Brooks And Ronde Barber As Career Bucs

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

David had similar thoughts following the Bucs’ season-ending loss to the Cowboys last month. He said then that he would love to stay with the Bucs, but also maintained that he needed to keep his options open because of the business side of the game. Even still, he had more to say on Thursday about joining an elite class of players who spent their whole careers with the Bucs.

“For sure. I’d love to retire as a Buccaneer,” David said. “Getting to play in the same building my whole career like guys like Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks, that’d be amazing. Just to walk the same hallways they walked their whole career. Especially Derrick Brooks, you all know how I feel about Derrick. Every time he comes around, my eyes light up. So, he’s definitely a guy who I kind of want to model after, just be a guy who played with Tampa their whole career and was just a staple for what they do.”

It’s worth mentioning that David’s legacy with the Bucs has already been cemented. He was drafted by the team in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has been perhaps the league’s most underrated player throughout most of his career. He has just one Pro Bowl and one All-Pro to his name, but he has been a consistent contributor for Tampa Bay in his 11 years. The crowning achievement of his career came in 2020, as he manned the middle of the Bucs defense that won Super Bowl LV. So, even if he only has the one Pro Bowl and one All-Pro selection, he also has a Super Bowl ring.

David ranks third in Bucs history in tackles, trailing only Brooks and Barber. He has played the fifth-most games of any Buc, owns the sixth-most passes defensed in team history and is the franchise leader in forced fumbles (27) and fumble recoveries (18). He also broke into The top 10 in sacks this season. There’s no doubt about it: whether he retires a Buc or not, Lavonte David will one day see his name unveiled in the Bucs Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium.

The Bucs Can’t Afford To Lose Lavonte David Right Now

Bucs LBs Devin White and Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Spotrac projects David’s market value to be $9.7 million this offseason, while Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo projected a contract in the neighborhood of $13.5 million for the veteran linebacker — with a cap hit right around that $9.7 million figure for 2023. It’s hard to argue against the value there for David, despite the fact that he’s set to enter his age-33 season. Quite frankly, the Bucs can’t afford to lose their longtime captain this offseason given the lack of a clear path forward for the inside linebacker position without him.

Without David, Tampa Bay would have to search for a starting-caliber running mate for Devin White. There isn’t one on the roster right now, plus the team has countless other holes to fill on its roster. Even as he gets up there in age, David is a known commodity. He’s an assignment-sound player and has proven extremely durable over the years. The most games he’s missed in a season is four, and that was when he dealt with a foot injury late in the 2021 season.

David has broken 100 tackles in nine of his 11 seasons. He has also posted double-digit tackles for loss in nine of 11 seasons. This past season, he finished with 124 tackles (80 solo), 10 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His three sacks were his most in a season since 2018. No. 54 clearly still has some good football to give. So, if he wants to remain a Buccaneer in 2023 and move closer to retiring as a one-team man, Tampa Bay should absolutely oblige.