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Retirement was on the table last year for Lavonte David, but he ultimately signed a one-year deal to continue his decorated Buccaneers career. It remains to be seen if he will play in 2025.
A report from last month indicated David is likely to hang up his cleats. No final decision has been made yet, though, and the door is still open for another Tampa Bay campaign in his case. Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports the Bucs met with David’s agent yesterday at the Combine, adding the team is prepared to give him time to weigh his options.
The 13-year veteran has been a mainstay on the Buccaneers’ defense since his arrival, and David remained productive in 2024 (122 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles). He could very well find himself in the team’s plans as a result; Anderson notes the talks were “positive.” Given David’s age (35), though, Tampa Bay will need to find a long-term linebacker successor in the near future, especially since Devin White did not develop as hoped prior to his 2024 free agent departure.
Losing David to retirement would deal a blow to the second level of Tampa Bay’s defense, but the possibility of a departure on the open market exists as well. Per Anderson, other teams are gauging the former Pro Bowler’s interest in playing elsewhere in 2025. Prior to signing his most recent Bucs pact, David gave thought no only to retiring but also to joining a different team for the first time in his career. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the near future.
No timeline is in place for the Super Bowl LV winner to make a call on his 2025 intentions, but the Buccaneers will no doubt want to know his plans before the start of the new league year next month. Tampa Bay is currently projected to have roughly $8.4MM in cap space once free agency begins, and a portion of that figure will be needed to retain David once again or add a veteran tasked with filling a starting role in the event he is no longer with the team next year.
More must-reads:
- Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
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Las Vegas Raiders End Christian Wilkins’ Tenure — Raider Nation Reacts
Las Vegas Raiders fans were shocked to learn that their team had parted ways with Christian Wilkins, their prized 2024 offseason acquisition. Let’s take a look at the reactions on social media, particularly from Raider Nation. In what can be described as the first “shocking” development of training camp, Raiders brass (spearheaded by general manager John Spytek) opted to go in a different direction. Well, that’s putting it nicely. The official statement was uncompromising. “We have decided that it is in the best interest of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of this release from the team. This franchise has a ‘Commitment to Excellence’ on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.” —Raiders statement on Wilkins’ release Here’s the thing: it’s not such a simple story. Wilkins and the Raiders originally agreed to a $110 million contract last offseason. On Thursday, the team opted to designate him as a terminated, vested veteran. Basically, he’s not subject to waivers. If you recall, Wilkins only played in five games last season before a foot injury took him out. Upon entering training camp, the Raiders placed him on the PUP list—naturally, that cast doubt as to whether he’d be available for the start of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders took issue with how Wilkins went about rehabbing after his surgery. As a result, the team voided what was left of his $35.2 million in guaranteed money. Also of note was that league insider Ian Rapoport stated that the organization wanted him to undergo another surgery but Wilkins declined. He opted to rehab his foot without additional surgery. Now, the Raiders will be without former general manager Tom Telesco’s prized free agent signing. Raider Nation, as we all know, had a lot to say and didn’t hold back. Raider Nation reacts to shocking Christian Wilkins news… At the end of the day, whether Wilkins plays this season and how the Raiders perform will lead us to revisit this story at some point. Clearly, this means we won’t have a quiet offseason without drama. Right, folks? *
Chris Pronger to Connor McDavid: A Lost Edmonton Oilers Decade
In the spring of 2006, Chris Pronger was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He then did something no one thought possible: he made the Edmonton Oilers a Stanley Cup contender again. That playoff run was legendary. Pronger logged enormous minutes, quarterbacked the power play, killed penalties, and led the team in scoring. In every zone and every moment, he was the difference-maker. He was the kind of player who gave an entire franchise a sense of direction—and belief. And then, just weeks after that Game 7 heartbreak in Carolina, he was gone. The Impact of the Oilers Losing a True No. 1 Blueliner Pronger’s trade request stunned the city and changed everything. Instead of building around a generational defenseman in his prime, the Oilers entered a prolonged decline. The team wouldn’t return to the playoffs for another decade. But what if he had stayed? It’s not just about Pronger’s elite play. It’s about the ripple effect of having that kind of presence anchoring a lineup. With Pronger in the fold, free agents might have been more willing to come. The team wouldn’t have scrambled to fill the void on the blue line with a carousel of short-term fixes. Young players could have developed under a true leader instead of inheriting pressure without support. The Oilers Championship Window Closed Too Soon The Oilers were close in 2006. It was not a fluke, but it was a team suddenly galvanized by elite goaltending from Dwayne Roloson, role players like Mike Peca, top-six grit like Ryan Smyth and Fernando Pisani, and above all, Pronger’s towering presence. Run it back even one more year, and who knows? A healthy Roloson, a stabilized core, and the confidence of a team that knew how close they came. Perhaps 2007 would be the season that ended differently for the Oilers. Instead, the Oilers lost their best player and wandered through the wilderness for ten years. How bad did the Oilers become? The 2006–07 season was a major disappointment in Edmonton, capped by the emotional deadline trade of fan favorite Smyth to the New York Islanders. That collapse marked the beginning of a long drought, as the team went on to miss the playoffs for 10 straight seasons until finally returning in 2016–17. Hockey Is Filled with What Ifs, the Oilers Are No Exception Hockey is full of what-ifs. But this one lingers. Because Pronger did come to Edmonton, and he did show what was possible. And for one electric spring, it looked like the Oilers had found the player who could lead them back to greatness. We just never got to find out how far that road might have gone. Fortunately, the team’s return to the playoffs in 2016–17 was spearheaded by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And that’s where the team is today. It’s a new era of success, but it took ten years to get there.
Dodgers Predicted to Acquire $4.175 Million All-Star, Gold Glove Outfielder in Blockbuster Trade
East Team’s Potential Decision Could Escalate Jonathan Kuminga Drama With Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are still awaiting a decision by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga as the NBA offseason is nearing August. Of course, Kuminga has a major decision to make regarding the next step of his career and it appears likely that it will not be in Golden State but rather with another franchise. This comes after the young forward fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. While it appears Kuminga’s time in Golden State is nearing an end, the Warriors still have a major say in his next team as they will likely have to agree to a sign-and-trade deal. Despite this, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel recently reported that one Eastern Conference team could escalate the situation between Kuminga and the Warriors by making a major decision this offseason. “Other teams with rumored interest in Kuminga are the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets. Then again, the Nets, who have plenty of cap space, have yet to express serious interest in Kuminga,” Siegel wrote. “If they wanted to, Brooklyn could sign Kuminga to an offer sheet right now and escalate this situation.” This is a massive report by Siegel as the Nets do have enough cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet which would tie the Warriors’ hands. Of course, this is unlikely to happen as the Nets are also dealing with their own restricted free agent problems with Cam Thomas as they are not wanting to offer the young guard the contract that he wants. While that may be the case, if the Nets end up moving on from Thomas in a sign-and-trade deal with another team they could shift their focus on Kuminga, who they have been linked to over the past two seasons. This would be the worst-case scenario for Golden State and one that would extremely hurt them heading into next season, especially with their lack of moves thus far this offseason.
Sherrone Moore says Michigan will do away with controversial celebration
Michigan and Ohio State are sure to play another spirited game on the gridiron this season, but it sounds like there will be no flag planting afterward regardless of the outcome. Michigan won its fourth straight game against Ohio State last season, and the Wolverines' latest victory was the biggest upset the rivalry has seen in years. The eventual national champion Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country when an unranked Michigan team went into Columbus and beat them, 13-10. A huge scrum broke out after the game when Michigan players stood on Ohio State's midfield logo and pretended to plant their flag in enemy territory. The brawl got so out of hand that stadium police wound up using pepper spray. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said his players will not be partaking in any flag-planting activity going forward. "There will be no more flag planting. There will be no more grabbing the flag," Moore said. "We talked about our new tradition and what we do when we win a game is go beat the band, go sing our (fight song) and stay over there until the other team departs. That's how we'll operate — shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial." While there has been no formal ban of flag planting, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also expressed opposition to the act after last year's incident. Ohio State and Michigan have one of the best rivalries in sports, so there is always going to be bad blood between the two programs. Moore and Day are doing what they can to make sure things don't get out of hand again the next time their teams meet.
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