One of the biggest offseason questions that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must face is whether their star linebacker of 14 years will return to the team. Lavonte David is a franchise legend who will surely have a place in the Bucs’ Ring of Honor. However, how he ends his career could have an overwhelming impact on the franchise short-term.
Thus, when he made an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, last week, he gave somewhat of a noncommittal answer.
“I’m just still thinking about it,” David said last week on The Jim Rome Show. “It was a long season. A long season, for me, personally. Just dealt with a lot of things and the way everything went. Just got to have a great, right mentality for me. … The great thing about it is the Bucs and me, we have great communication, so everything is open”.
A Franchise Icon Weighs His Future
For David, there may just be a bit of time processing what he has achieved in his career. While he has steadily declined in form over the years, to many, he is still the embodiment of what the Bucs’ defense is. A lot of fans may not be able to envision a defense without him.
David last year still appeared in all of the team’s 17 games. He still had over 100 tackles for the twelfth season overall. Also, considering the fact the Bucs don’t necessarily have such a leader in David’s squad. Most importantly, retiring on such a sour note with the team may not sit well with him.
After all, after a 6-2 start, the Bucs somehow snapped a streak of four straight playoff appearances by dropping to 8-9. “We can’t do nothing but blame ourselves, the way that season went, the way it ended and everything like that,” David said.
History, Health, and One Final Decision
Another key factor in David’s potential return could come down to whether or not he wants to make more history with the team. A lot of Bucs all-time lists on the defensive side of the ball have his name at the top, but he is still tied with franchise legend and Super Bowl winner Derrick Brooks for most all time tackles in franchise history. Break that record and David could retire with that to his name alone.
On the other hand, David suffered through injury through all of last year. In fact, he had to drain 50cc’s of fluid from his knee weekly just to be able to go on game days. While he shared that he remained relatively healthy throughout the season, that may be a deciding factor when he makes his final decision for the team.
While David’s retirement is not the end all, be all for the Bucs this offseason, they may want a hasty decision as they would then be able to analyze the free agent for more options. Still, for many, it will be bittersweet if a different man is manning the middle of the defense for the Bucs next year.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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