Bucs Legend Lavonte David Addresses His Playing Future

There is nothing more for David to accomplish, having already put together one of the defining linebacker careers of this generation. At this point, the motivation would be to prove to himself he can do it and see how much of the sour taste he can get out of his mouth from last season.

“First and foremost, [I’m] disappointed that we didn’t get the chance to make the playoffs, but it’s our fault,” David said. “We can’t blame nobody but ourselves the way the year ended. The last eight, nine game stretch that we had after starting 6-2 was disappointing, to say the least. After the end of the year, I had my conversation with Jason [Licht] and [head] coach [Todd] Bowles and my position coach [Mike Caldwell]. Just go from there.”

Licht is never one to close the door, and he has left it open yet again for the longtime franchise great. On one hand, the team needs linebackers. On the other hand, it could be time to part with the “timeless” player and usher in a new era and transform the position. It seems like “LVD” is taking his time and enjoying the early part of the offseason.

“Ultimately, they always leave it in my hands, as you know, the past three years [all] one-year deals,” David added. “It’s always up to me and what I want to do. So far, I’ve just been chilling. I’m back home, I took my little girl to school today. I’m having fun with that and adulting a little bit. Running some errands, doing different things around the house.

“Football, I’m always going to have a love of football. Football is always going to be there, been watching the playoffs. Ready to sit down and watch the Super Bowl with friends and family. I think I might host a Super Bowl party at my crib.”

If Todd Bowles Was Fired, Lavonte David Would Retire

Each season, more and more comes into play to convince Lavonte David to come back. Family obviously plays a big factor, but at this point, that is what Todd Bowles is to David.

If Bowles would have been fired, the conversation David had with the Bucs after the season would have been a lot different.

“If Bowles wasn’t coming back, there was no shot to be honest with you,” David said on returning. “That’s a fact. Me and Bowles just have that relationship. I’ve gotten extremely comfortable with him, comfortable with his defense, and our relationship is… something I’ve always wanted. The past seven years I’ve been working with him, it’s been really, really fun and I enjoy his football knowledge.

“Him as a man and as a person, everybody in the locker room loves him. The media and the fans give him a hard time because you don’t see any character out of him, but we do. That’s why we love him. Definitely would have been a different talk if he wasn’t coming back. That’s my guy.”

Two things are certain for Lavonte David. He will only return to play under Todd Bowles, and he would only return to the Bucs. David’s comments echo a sense of comfort and loyalty to a coach and team he trusts.

“It’s Bucs or nowhere else,” David said. “I played my 14-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they’ve been real, they’ve been loyal to me. Me being somewhere else probably wouldn’t feel right. I’m a Buc, man. They’ve been loyal to me all these years.”