The Buccaneers' heart and soul hangs up his cleats. Discover how the franchise reflects on a legend's impactful 14-year career and humble legacy.
For the first time since 2011, when Raheem Morris was the head coach and Josh Freeman was the quarterback, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start their season without Lavonte David on the roster.
David is retiring from the league after 14 seasons, all with Tampa Bay.
In those 14 seasons, David made three All-Pro teams, including a first-team in 2013. Before the next season, David was named a team captain and was voted captain by his teammates for each of the next 11 seasons, as well. Statistically, David continued to pile up numbers. Since coming into the league, David has led the NFL with 1,171 total tackles and is second with 177 tackles for loss (four behind JJ Watt and two ahead of Aaron Donald, who both will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame soon)
In what ended up being David's last NFL season, he played in all 17 games and did so through pain. He revealed after the season that his knee eventually required weekly drainage, and he had surgery after the season.
In David's last season, he had 114 total tackles (61 solo) and 3.5 sacks and a pick, which set up a game-winning field goal against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Seattle Oct. 5.
Now, David will have time to smell the roses.
The Glazer family owned the Bucs when they drafted David in 2012, and in a statement posted to the team's website, described him as "one of the most accomplished players of his era."
"Beyond the statistics and accolades, he will be remembered throughout Tampa Bay for his humble demeanor and strong commitment to our community," the Glazers said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "We wish him well on his journey after football and look forward to honoring his Hall of Fame-worthy achievements in the near future."
Team co-owner and president, Joel Glazer, described David as "Mr. Buc" in a 2024 interview.
Jason Licht took over as general manager in 2014, when David was coming off his first-team All-Pro season.
In "Raise the Flags," a 10-part documentary series on the history of the team available on Prime Video, Licht described David as the model for Tampa's "I am That Man" philosophy.
In Licht's statement, he said that the impact David had on the franchise "cannot be overstated."
"For the entirety of his 14-year career, Lavonte set the standard for professionalism, leadership, and consistency," Licht said. "He embodies everything that it means to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and he is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever put on this uniform. His contributions to our franchise, to his teammates, and to this community will leave an impact far beyond his playing years."
For David's last seven seasons in Tampa, Todd Bowles was on the staff, first as defensive coordinator (2019-2021), then as head coach (2022-2025).
The two developed a tight bond, and in his statement, Bowles described David as "the heart and soul of our defense and a Super Bowl champion on the way to being an eventual Hall of Famer."
"There isn't anyone more respected by his teammates, and that respect extends to his peers and opposing coaches throughout the league," Bowles said. "I, as well as everyone in this organization, will miss him tremendously."
David said in a January interview that, without Bowles, there was no chance that he would come back in 2026.
The Bucs ended up retaining Bowles for this season, but that wasn't enough to keep David around.
David isn't the only Bucs legend to move on.
On the first day of free agency, Mike Evans signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, ending his 12-year run in Tampa.
Aside from Hall-of-Fame safety Ronde Barber, who spent 16 years with the franchise, no Buccaneer played more seasons in Tampa Bay than David and Hall-of-Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks.
Like Brooks and Barber, David was a big part of a Bucs team that won the Super Bowl, with the former two helping Tampa to its first world championship and the latter helping Tampa to its most recent championship, won in February 2021 inside Raymond James Stadium.
Now, the question is whether David will join those two in Canton.
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