Buccaneers Legend Lavonte David Makes Admission Amid Retirement

Longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers great and former linebacker Lavonte David had to hang it up at some point after 14 years in the league.

That said, there is always a pull to come back, though David is set on calling it a career at the moment. He started thinking about changing course when the Buccaneers selected linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 pick in the draft.

Bain had a stellar collegiate career with Miami, where he tallied 121 tackles, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception in three seasons. His potential has David excited.

“I knew Bain already,” David said during the This is Football podcast. “I reached out to him after he got drafted, he told me, man, like, ‘Man, I wish you just waited one more year.’"

"And, I was like in my mind like, ‘Maybe I should have, but, you know, the deal is done already. I’m out, my guy,'" David added. "But, I told him I’m ‘definitely going to be there to be supporting him’ and stuff like that.”

Pairing David and Bain together would have been dynamic for the Buccaneers, and Bain's growth could have accelerated with a leader such as David. Tampa Bay has enjoyed longstanding success in developing players because of longtime veterans such as David.

That was the case on the other side of the ball with longtime wide receiver Mike Evans, who is now with the San Francisco 49ers. David nonetheless has lots of confidence in his old team going into 2026.

“I definitely, definitely have high hopes for those guys, man,” David said. “The roster, I can speak on the roster. The roster is amazing.”

Tampa Bay returns a large chunk of last season's 8-9 team. The Buccaneers notably had a 6-2 start to last season before injuries derailed the campaign.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 12:07 PM.