Lavonte David has been a staple of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Nebraska.
He has seen it all, witnessing the Bucs fall so far as to get the No. 1 pick in the draft back in 2015 and rise to the heights of a Super Bowl victory in 2020. At 35 years old, he is scheduled to be a free agent this coming March, and some information came out regarding his status for next season.
Lavonte David’s NFL Future
David has been a stud for almost the entirety of his 13-year career with the Bucs. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2013 and a second-team All-Pro twice, in 2016 and 2020. He also reached the Pro Bowl in 2015.
It is hard to imagine a Bucs defense without David playing linebacker, but that might be the reality, depending on how things go this offseason. Per Josina Anderson, the Bucs brass met with David’s agent at the combine, and it was a “positive conversation.”
Combine News: I’m told that the #Buccaneers met with Lavonte David’s agent yesterday here at the Combine, per source. I’m told “it was a positive conversation.” My understanding is that the #Bucs are still willing to give David ample time if necessary to make a decision on still… pic.twitter.com/r1UbChPIf8
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 27, 2025
The Bucs are giving David all the time he needs to decide on whether he is going to play next season, while other teams are checking in to see if David has any interest in playing somewhere other than Tampa Bay for the first time in his career.
Either way, this is absolutely a situation worth monitoring. Even as Tom Brady has been retired for two full seasons now, the Bucs still won the NFC South each of the last two seasons, making it four straight seasons where the Bucs have won the division.
Five years ago, of course, they did not win the division, but that was also the season in which they won the Super Bowl, a tradeoff the team is probably content with.
Obviously, having Tom Brady and now Baker Mayfield playing well certainly helps, but the Tampa Bay defense under Todd Bowles (as defensive coordinator from 2019-2021 and head coach since 2022) has been a big part of the team’s success as well.
At the center of it all and a big reason for their defensive success has been David, even as he has gotten older. He is also a veteran leader of the team, helping as much off the field as he does on it.
Free agency officially opens on Wednesday, March 12th, at 4 p.m. ET, but the Bucs are hoping to have a resolution here long before then to change their plans accordingly.