After an incredible 1,714 tackles and 215 games — all as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer — Lavonte David is calling it a career.
The 36-year-old David, a one-time Super Bowl winner, All-Pro and Pro Bowl linebacker, announced Tuesday his retirement after 14 seasons in the NFL.
“Lavonte’s mark on our franchise could never be overstated,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement on the team’s website. “Throughout his 14-year career, Lavonte set the standard for professionalism, leadership and consistency. He embodies everything it means to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and he is without a doubt one of the best players to ever wear this uniform.
David started all 215 games he played for the Bucs since being selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. How long David would continue to play has long been an offseason issue. In the spring of 2025, he signed his contract with Tampa Bay for the third year in a row.
This time, David will not sign another one-year contract.
Instead, he’ll say goodbye to a career that boasts a 12,100-tackle season, 33 forced fumbles, a club-best 21 fumble recoveries, 14 interceptions and 42.5 sacks.
While David was very much a tackle machine as an inside linebacker, he was also an every-down player.
He was a pro in 2013 — his second season — in impressive stats that filled the position: 145 tackles, seven sacks, 10 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. His lone Pro Bowl selection followed in 2015 when he had a career-high 147 tackles.
Much of David’s career was spent on a struggling Bucs team. Of course, the franchise changed its course when Tom Brady arrived in the 2020 season. David earned second team All-Pro recognition as the Bucs cruised to victory in Super Bowl LV. David had six tackles and two pass breakups in Tampa’s 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.