The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 8-9 in Lavonte David’s final season, capping off the franchise legend’s career in disappointing fashion without a playoff berth.
Still, David maintains high expectations for Tampa Bay in 2026 as he watches from afar .
Lavonte David praises 2026 Bucs on Kevin Clark’s podcast
In an appearance on Kevin Clark’s This Is Football podcast, David made it clear that he’s impressed with this year’s roster, and believes that Tampa Bay will bounce back after last season’s collapse.
“They are going to be some animals, man,” David told Clark, via JoeBucsFan. “I knew Rueben Bain already; I reached out to him after he got drafted. And he told me, ‘Man, I wish you just waited one more year.” And in my mind I was like, ‘Maybe I should have.’ But, you know, the deal is done already… I told him. I’m definitely going to be there to be supporting him and stuff like that.”
Hearing Rueben Bain get such a co-sign from a franchise legend is encouraging. He seems to already have some big-time connections within the organization with Warren Sapp and now David.
In addition to Bain, David went on to praise the roster as a whole.
“And I definitely have high hopes for those guys. The roster, I can speak on the roster. The roster is amazing. Everything is set up. You know, offensively, even though we lost Mike [Evans], but they still have some young guys. The offensive line is back healthy, Baker is healthy, you got Bucky [Irving] back healthy.”
David is correct that the Bucs have a stacked roster, but the same was true last year, and that didn’t stop Tampa Bay from ending the season on a 2-7 skid.
There’s a real sense of urgency to get things back on track this season. Todd Bowles is on the hot seat, and quarterback Baker Mayfield could be playing out a contract year.
The performance of the Bucs will be pivotal towards the future direction of the franchise, and impact the way ownership chooses to approach next offseason.
If the Bucs prove to be contenders, they’ll be more likely to hold on to key veterans like Chris Godwin, and re-sign big name free agents like Vita Vea, Yaya Diaby, and Cody Mauch.
Another mediocre season could lead to an organizational reset, from head coach on down.
Hopefully, David’s prediction comes to fruition, and the Bucs really are some animals in 2026. Anything less than a return to the postseason will be viewed as a major disappointment.
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