LB David retires as one of Bucs' all-time greats

TAMPA, Fla. -- Buccaneers inside linebacker Lavonte David -- a 12-time captain, key member of their Super Bowl LV-winning team in 2020 and the longest-tenured player on the Bucs' current roster -- is retiring after 14 seasons.

David, who turned 36 in January, will discuss his decision Tuesday at a news conference at the AdventHealth Training Center auditorium.

Since entering the league in 2012, David has ranked first in solo tackles (1,171) while his 177 tackles for a loss ranks second. He was selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team. He is one of just three players to record 40-plus sacks and 35-plus takeaways, along with Pro Football Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher.

Since tackles became an officially tracked metric in 1994, David is one of just seven players to reach 1,700 career tackles, along with Derrick Brooks, Lewis, Junior Seau, Zach Thomas, London Fletcher and Bobby Wagner.

David has 41.5 sacks, 32 forced fumbles and 14 interceptions in his career. He is also one of just four players in league history to record 40 career sacks, 30 forced fumbles and 10 interceptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers, Mo Lewis and Greg Lloyd.

In David's final regular-season game with the Bucs, he tied Pro Football Hall of Famer and Buccaneer Ring of Honor member Derrick Brooks' franchise tackle record of 1,714, which is also sixth all-time since Statspass began recording tackles as a metric in 1994. His 215 games played are third most in team history behind Brooks (224) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rondé Barber (241).

David paid tribute to Barber in the Bucs' 38-35 victory at the eventual Super Bowl champion-Seattle Seahawks this past year, when he secured a late interception in the game and pointed to the name on the back of his jersey, which was Barber's signature celebration.

Another key moment for David in 2025 that exemplified not only his impact, but his leadership came in Week 7 at the Detroit Lions, when Mike Evans, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, suffered a concussion and a broken collarbone. David took the field alongside head coach Todd Bowles to be with Evans while their visibly shaken offensive teammates could go back to the huddle and attempt to resume play. David said of that moment, that he was simply trying to be there for his "brother."

Bowles lauded David for "always showing up," not just as the quarterback of the defense, but as a person.

A second-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2012 (David also attended Fort Scott Community College from 2008-09), David became a Day 1 starter. But it took nine seasons before he ever tasted the postseason, which culminated in the team's 2020 Super Bowl LV victory, the first time a team had won a Lombardi Trophy on its home field. From there, David helped lead the Bucs to four consecutive NFC South titles from 2021-24.

David had been noncommittal on a return this offseason and Bucs general manager Jason Licht said the team was giving him all the time he needed to make a decision. The team had just three inside linebackers under contract heading into 2026, so they signed veteran inside linebacker Alex Anzalone as a free agent two weeks ago, but his role had yet to be defined. Then on Monday, the team signed Christian Rozeboom, who started 15 games for the Panthers last season.

With David's retirement and Evans departing for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency after 12 seasons, wide Chris Godwin Jr., who will enter his 10th season this fall, becomes the longest-tenured Buccaneer in the locker room.

In addition to the tackle record, David retires as the franchise record holder in forced fumbles (33, Brooks is second with 25), fumble recoveries (20, Barber is second with 11) and tackles for loss.