The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to operate as if they will be without longtime inside linebacker Lavonte David. They gave solid starter money to Alex Anzalone early in free agency before signing another veteran in Christian Rozeboom.
Rozeboom lands in Tampa Bay after spending 2025 with their NFC South rivals, the Carolina Panthers. He gives the Buccaneers another proven option in the middle of their front seven to pair with Anzalone. But more notably, this move may mark the end of the road for David, who's mulling retirement.
In the wake of the Rozeboom news, the Buccaneers will reportedly hold a press conference "involving David," per FOX Sports' Greg Auman. While there were "no specifics" on the topic of discussion, "all signs point to" Tampa Bay's 2012 second-round pick officially hanging up the cleats.
Buccaneers strongly hint at Lavonte David's retirement (again) with Christian Rozeboom signing
David has made it clear that representing another club isn't in the cards. It's either sticking with the only franchise he's ever known or stepping away from football. However, the Buccaneers appear to be tipping his hand for him — as illustrated by Rozeboom's arrival.
Double-dipping at David's position is one thing. Nevertheless, the Bucs haven't just brought in a couple of unheralded journeymen; they've made meaningful additions. Both Anzalone and Rozeboom were near-every-down contributors for their respective squads this past season.
It's hard to envision David returning for a reduced role, so the sequence of events in Tampa Bay makes sense. He's never logged lower than a 93 percent defensive snap share rate across his 14 years as a pro. Yet, Rozeboom presumably joined Tampa Bay with intentions of factoring into their plans, while Anzalone's salary signals high usage.
Whether Bucs fans like it or not, something must give. The uncertainty surrounding David's future is a major fork in the road moment with significant ramifications for all parties involved. He's been the linchpin of the team's stop unit for over a decade, so his status looms large one way or another.
A Super Bowl LV champion, 12-time captain, three-time All-Pro and one-time Pro Bowler, David has nothing left to prove. He will be remembered as a Buccaneers legend regardless of what comes next. Be that as it may, the 36-year-old needs 129 tackles to surpass Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks on Tampa Bay's all-time list.
Whether chasing history is on David's mind remains unclear, though the context clues suggest we'll likely see him call it a career this offseason. Otherwise, it'll be fascinating to see how he, Anzalone and Rozeboom fit together.
In his lone campaign with the Panthers, Rozeboom was productive. He amassed 122 tackles (seven for loss), three pass deflections, two quarterback hits, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.