Legendary Bucs linebacker Lavonte David has thought about retirement over the last couple of seasons as he has continued to sign one-year deals with Tampa Bay. But he’s never really publicly discussed the possibility of retiring this much until this offseason.
David, who was the team’s second-round pick in 2012, turned 36 in January and recently went on the Caps Off podcast, where he discussed the chance that he returns for a 15th season in Tampa Bay or ultimately retires.
“I feel good,” David said on the Caps Off podcast, which was first reported by Joe Bucs Fan. “You know, I’m healthy. I’m happy. I’m undecided [on retiring]. I’m genuinely undecided, like I don’t know. I don’t know. I still got a lot of football left in me. I know that for sure. I still love the game. I know that for sure.
“The other side is I want to spend more time with my daughter. She’s in school, so [I’ve been] taking her to school and it’s a good feeling.”
David had dealt with a lingering knee injury for most of the 2025 season, but according to his comments, that is apparently feeling better since the season ended. He had to have as much as 50 cc’s of fluid drained on a weekly basis just to play on game days.
Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Ray Seebeck
How Much Would The Bucs Pay A 36-Year Old Lavonte David?
While Lavonte David was still the best linebacker on the Bucs roster last year, his play did fall off in 2025. How much of that was due to age and how much of it was due to his knee injury is difficult to parse, but that drop in performance was reflected in his Pro Football Focus grades last year.
In 2024, David posted a 67.9 PFF overall grade, a 77.6 run defense grade, a 65.4 pass rush grade and a 56.9 coverage grade. Last year, David earned his worst grades ever from PFF with a 52.6 overall grade, a 66.2 run defense grade, a 48.6 pass rush grade and a 45.1 coverage grade.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
David re-signed with the Bucs on a one-year, $9 million deal in 2025, but it’s doubtful that the team would want to pay an aging star who is getting past his prime that much money. David is ranked No. 181 in Pro Football Focus’s Top 250 free agents in 2026, and shows up on the list as the 18th-best inside linebacker in free agency.
On the Up And Adams show with Kay Adams after the end of Tampa Bay’s 2025 season, David said that the team is leaving his decision to return to the Buccaneers up to him.
“Ultimately, it’s my decision,” David said when discussing the possibility of returning for a 15th season with Adams. “Ultimately, they always leave it in my hands, as you know, the past three years [all] one-year deals. 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.”
But while the Bucs may be open to re-signing David to another one-year deal, it might have to be for significantly less money, as Tampa Bay has a cash budget in free agency of around $50 million this year and plenty of needs to address, especially on defense.
It’s unlikely that the Bucs would be in the bidding war for Jacksonville’s Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd, who is expected to fetch around $16 million per year on a three- or four-year deal. Lloyd is expected to be the most sought-after linebacker in free agency.
But the team may want to get younger and faster at the linebacker position, especially with the team’s coverage struggles at the position over the last two years with David, K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis.
Bucs TE Cade Otton and Lions LB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: USA Today
According to Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo, David’s valuation in 2026 is a one-year deal at $7 million. But other younger, veteran linebackers like Detroit’s Alex Anzalone, 31, and New York Jets’ Quincy Williams, 29, could be had in the $5-$6 million per year range.
According to Spotrac, David has made $103,899,017 during his 14-year career with the Buccaneers. It will be interesting to see if David, who is tied with Derrick Brooks for the franchise career tackle record with 1,714, indeed wants to return or retire.
That might be on his terms. But if he does want to return, the Bucs will ultimately decide what price they’ll be willing to pay for the aging star.