Buccaneers Star Lavonte David Announces Retirement From Nfl After 14 Seasons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David had big shoes to fill after the team made him its second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers were just a few seasons removed from losing Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks to retirement, and hadn’t really drafted a replacement for Brooks … until David came along.

It’s safe to say that turned out to be a pretty good decision. After 14 seasons in Tampa Bay — which included a Pro Bowl and an All-Pro selection — David is retiring from the NFL.

The 36-year-old announced the news through the team Tuesday.

Over his 14-year career, David emerged as one of the best linebackers in team history. He finished with 1,714 tackles, tying Brooks. He also produced 33 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries and 177 tackles for loss over his career, more than any Bucs player.

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David’s excellence didn’t earn him many accolades at the end of the season, however. After finishing fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting, David was named to the first-team All-Pro team in his second season. He was an All-Pro two other times in his career — 2016 and 2020 — though he was second-team both times. David made just one career Pro Bowl, playing in the game in 2015.

In 2020, David played a key role in helping the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl. Over the team’s four games, David combined for 26 tackles, four passes defended and a sack. He played in 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in all four games.

Following that Super Bowl win, David signed a two-year deal to return to the Bucs. When that contract ended after the 2022 NFL season, David and the Bucs decided to continue to bring the veteran back on one-year deals until he called it a career. He signed one-year deals with the team in 2023, 2024 and 2025, starting every single game in which he played over that stretch.

David’s lack of league-wide accolades may hurt a possible Hall of Fame case, though the Bucs made the case Tuesday that he belongs. He will, however, go down as one of the best Buccaneers linebackers of all time, no small feat considering the shoes he had to fill and the legacy Brooks left behind.