The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are retaining one of their staples on defense as they have agreed to a one-year contract with linebacker Lavonte David, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson. As for the financial angle on this deal, NFL media reports that the Bucs are giving the 33-year-old $7 million for the 2023 campaign.
David has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers after the team selected him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has been a key piece to their defense ever since, including during their Super Bowl LV title run in 2020. Despite that, there was some question as to whether or not David would be back with the team considering their tight salary cap situation.
While he was able to look across the market before agreeing to this deal, David had previously made it a point to note that he wanted to finish his career with Tampa Bay and be a lifelong Buccaneer.
"For sure. I'd love to retire as a Buccaneer," David told WDAE back in February. "Getting to play in the same building my whole career like guys like Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks, that'd be amazing. Just to walk the same hallways they walked their whole career. Especially Derrick Brooks, you all know how I feel about Derrick. Every time he comes around, my eyes light up. So, he's definitely a guy who I kind of want to model after, just be a guy who played with Tampa their whole career and was just a staple for what they do."
And now he'll get an opportunity to do just that as he's set to enter Year 12 with the Bucs.
Even during his age-32 season in 2022, David has continued to be a productive member of Todd Bowles' defense. The three-time All-Pro (two second team) started all 17 games for Tampa Bay this past season and totaled 124 tackles, which was tied for a team high and the most he's totaled since 2015. David also had three sacks and five pass breakups to his name.
