It's going to be a weird sight when the 2026 NFL regular season kicks off and Lavonte David isn't on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The long-time Bucs linebacker called it a career this offseason after 14 seasons in the NFL (all spent in Tampa).
While appearing on Up & Adams, Bucs linebacker Yaya Diaby was asked what it would be like not having David by his side this season. His response was pretty hilarious.
"I know he'll definitely, definitely be around, man. This is his home, man. He's been here for 20, 30 years, man. The dude is old," Diaby said. When Adams laughed about the comment of David being with the Bucs for 30 years, Diaby replied, "The way he used to be around this building... Yeah, he probably was here about 30 years."
Yaya Diaby jokes that Lavonte David has been with the Bucs for 30 years
Obviously David was not with the Buccaneers for 30 years considering he's 36 years old and hasn't been playing professional football since he was six. Diaby is 26 years old though so the 10-year age gap clearly has him off his game when it comes to knowing how long David's been in the league.
Diaby is right about one thing though and that's that David will likely still be in the building. He's spent the last 14 years of his life in Tampa playing for the Buccaneers so it'd be strange if he didn't stop by and spend time with the team occasionally.
Diaby was a third-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2023 and has had the pleasure of playing alongside David for the first three years of his career. Clearly, he's going to miss the Bucs legend and knows that he can poke fun at his old teammate.
Diaby won't be the only one who misses David on the field. It'll be a strange sight when the team takes the field for the first time in 2026 and David isn't there. What a legend.
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