Buccaneers’ Lavonte David Weighs Retirement Decision

The Buccaneers are looking at the potential loss of two team legends in March as linebacker Lavonte David and wide receiver Mike Evans are set to become free agents. While there’s optimism that the 32-year-old Evans will still be playing in 2026, Mike Florio of PFT reports that David, at 36, is considering retirement.

“I feel good. You know, I’m healthy. I’m happy.” David told the Caps Off podcast. “I’m undecided [on retiring]. I’m genuinely undecided, like I don’t know. I don’t know, I still got a lot of football left in me. I know that for sure, I still love the game, I know that for sure. The other side is I want to spend more time with my daughter. She’s in school, so [I’ve been] taking her to school and it’s a good feeling.”

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David, a second-round pick (58th overall) from Nebraska in 2012, was an immediate sensation for the Buccaneers. His 139-tackle rookie season showed he was an absolute steal for the team.

Since his debut, David has been a consistent force, starting all 215 games he’s played and notching an impressive twelve seasons with 100 or more tackles. Yet, despite this remarkable and steady output, he’s only earned one Pro Bowl selection and a single first-team All-Pro recognition.

In 2025, David played his second consecutive 17-game season, delivering 114 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. The Buccaneers clearly leaned on him heavily, as he was on the field for 97.99% of snaps, ranking second in playing time among their defenders, just behind safety Antoine Winfield. Even though Pro Football Focus placed him 66th out of 88 qualifying players at his position, losing David would undoubtedly leave a significant gap, both on the field and in the Buccaneers’ locker room.

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Should David choose to play in 2026, he’s probably looking at another one-year contract, making it his fourth in a row. For the third winter in a row, retirement has been on his mind, but he opted to play, earning $8.5 million in 2024 and $10 million last season. It’s likely his next deal, whether with the Buccaneers or another team, would fall within that same financial ballpark.

While it’s tough to picture David in any uniform other than the Bucs’, other teams were definitely interested in him last year before he re-signed. Those same teams might come calling again if he hits the free-agent market this March. For now, the big question is whether he’ll even decide to keep playing.