Lavonte David details the physical and mental commitments required to extend his impactful NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, amidst lingering questions about his game.
A big question for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason is whether Lavonte David will be back in 2026.
The 6-foot-1, 233-pound linebacker has been a franchise cornerstone, twice named All Pro, and helping the 2020 Bucs win Super Bowl LV.
But David will be 36 in a week, and this season, his age started to show.
On the surface, David is still going strong, ending the regular season with 114 tackles to lead the team. But looking at advanced metrics, David struggled.
Per Pro Football Focus, David ranked 67th out of 89 players at his position in overall defensive grading (52.6); 39th out of 41 players in pass-rush grading (48.6); and 63rd out of 78 in grades for pass rush (45.1).
David's highest grade was in run defense, at 66.2, but even that was below average for the position.
David also revealed after the season that he had been playing with a knee that needed to be drained weekly, which shows he's still motivated enough to play hurt, but also showed that his body may be breaking down.
On an episode of Bussin' with the Boys, hosted by Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan and David's Nebraska teammate Will Compton, David was predictably non-committal about coming back.
But he did lay out the factors he's considering in his decision about whether to retire.
"Am I going to be focused?" David asked. "Am I going to be locked in? ... Am I going to have my best foot forward for the team, you know, for 17, 18weeks of the season?"
David is a captain and emotional leader for the Bucs, routinely giving locker-room speeches in both victory and defeat, so he was still committed enough to fire up his teammates.
But question arise about what David can still do physically.
"Am I still gonna be able to, you know, cover tight ends?" he said. "Am I still gonna be able to punch and shed? If I’m gonna be able to, you know, make physical downhill tackles the way I always do?"
People outside the organization have begun to prepare for David's absence.
A recent PFF mock draft has Tampa selecting Ohio State inside linebacker and All American Sonny Styles at pick No. 15.
The Bucs also have free-agent options in Nakobe Dean, who has a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles; Devin Lloyd, who helped the Jacksonville Jaguars to the playoffs this season; and Devin Bush, whose Cleveland Browns didn't come close to playoff contention, though he played well enough to get All-Pro votes.
Whatever David decides, he's already cemented himself as one of the best to ever play for the Bucs.
ㅤ
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!