It could be that more than just the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season came to an end in the Wild Card round on Sunday night. The loss wrapped up Lavonte David's 13th season as a pro, and it has some fans wondering if it was the final time we'll see him in a Buccaneers uniform.
After the game, David was asked about his future in Tampa Bay and was pretty noncommittal.
“I got a lot to think about, man,'' David said. "Go ahead, go home, get my little girl, be a dad and go from there.’’
This isn't a terribly surprising answer as it comes on the heels of the Buccaneers' season getting stopped short of the ultimate goal. It also isn't the first time we've ended the season wondering whether it was the final time we've seen David play, which is bigger than whether he's done playing in Tampa Bay.
If David's career with the Bucs is over, then that likely means his career as a whole has come to an end. He's been adamant in the past about wanting to have the honor of playing for only one team, which is why he's come back to Tampa the last few seasons on one-year deals.
If Lavonte David leaves Tampa Bay, it likely means he's going to retire
David could have left back in 2023 when Tom Brady retired and the Buccaneers' future was uncertain, but he decided to come back even though nothing outwardly suggested things would turn out alright. By choosing to return there was a chance he spent the twilight of his career dwindling away on a middling team rather than jumping to a Super Bowl contender.
It was that endorsement of the team, though, that helped to push Tampa Bay down the path it's on now.
A lot was rightfully made when Brady signed back in 2020 but David has been setting a cultural tone since 2012 when he was drafted. He's been one of the best players in franchise history and looks to be another in a long line of defensive Hall of Famers, but his unwavering loyalty to the Bucs -- even when the teams he played on didn't deserve it -- is why he'll go down as one of the most beloved players in franchise history.
If this is it for David, it's only a matter of time before he's back at Raymond James Stadium for his Ring of Honor ceremony. He's meant everything to the franchise through thick and thin, and if he chooses to ride off into the sunset now then it will be well deserved retirement.
Hopefully he comes back for one more rodeo, which is a theme that extends to a few different places this offseason. Liam Coen and Chris Godwin are in that same boat as well, with fans hoping the team finds a way to make sure they remain part of the plan.
David has earned his rest, though. He established this past season that he can still play at a high level, and if he comes back it will be a boost to a linebacking corps that has a lot of questions around it moving forward. Mostly, it'll be truly weird to see the Bucs defense take the field without No. 54 out there, but he'll always be in the hearts of fans in Tampa Bay no matter what he decides to do.
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