Buccaneers Legend Lavonte David Throws Shade At Jalen Hurts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles have developed a strong rivalry in recent years, and few teams have had as much success against Philadelphia as Tampa Bay.

That success extends to Jalen Hurts, as the Buccaneers hold a 4–2 record against him, including two playoff victories in 2021 and 2023. Hurts has become a major topic of conversation following a recent ESPN report pointing to growing frustration with his play and role in the offense, and now a recently retired Buccaneers legend has entered the discussion as well.

Recently retired linebacker Lavonte David has faced some of the greatest quarterbacks in league history over the course of his 14-year NFL career. When asked about Jalen Hurts on The Arena podcast, he showed respect for the young signal-caller while also noting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t been overly concerned with him in recent matchups.

Lavonte David Throws Shade At Hurts

“Jalen Hurts was never a guy we worried about. Our game plan was always, because they have a great offensive line, stopping the run,” David stated. “You had to be where you’re supposed to be to stop the run, and then that may open up the passing game, but he was never asked to do so much.”

David still had plenty of praise for Jalen Hurts, noting that the quarterback is set to work with his seventh offensive coordinator in 2026, which could contribute to growing frustrations. At the same time, he pointed out that Hurts isn’t asked to carry a heavy load in the Philadelphia Eagles offense, suggesting that some of the criticism surrounding his on-field performance may be misplaced.

“They had a lot of problems with the offensive coordinator… he may have gotten frustrated with things like that. But this past season’s probably the most I’ve really seen a lot of speculation of stuff going on as far as Jalen Hurts being a bad teammate or something like that. Devin White, he was on there for a little bit, and he never said anything negative about Jalen Hurts as a leader.”

David noted that the quarterback is on his seventh offensive coordinator in 2026, which could be contributing to growing frustrations. At the same time, he pointed out that Hurts isn’t asked to carry a heavy load in the Philadelphia Eagles offense, suggesting that some of the criticism surrounding his on-field performance may be misplaced.