Even though Tampa Bay Buccaneers legendary inside linebacker Lavonte David started all 17 games for the second straight season, his tackles fell to their lowest number since the 2022 NFL season, and his reputation fell in a season in which the defense completely imploded. Now ranked by The Athletic as the 149th out of 150 impending free agents they even bothered to discuss, David is no longer seen as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
Father Time doth cometh for us all, but though David is now 36 - as of last month - it feels cruel to write off one of the best inside linebackers of his generation as washed up and done with the NFL because of the context of how the 2025 season unfolded for the Buccaneers.
David simply did not have any help around him. He was the 114-tackle, veteran leader of a front seven with no pass rush, no other quality inside linebackers to help him, and only Vita Vea and YaYa Diaby as starting-caliber players around him.
Lavonte David is getting snubbed
If anything, NFL pundits making David an afterthought in their offseason free agency primers may serve as a powerful motivational tool for him to prove that he deserves every bit the same respect Mike Evans was afforded after falling short of the 1,000-yard mark for the first tim ever following injury issues.
David, ever the ironman, was not held back by injuries, but rather coaching dysfunction from Todd Bowles and a unit lacking in quality. He still has not decided if he is coming back for another year, but if he is, the Buccaneersare by far the best - and should be the only - option for him to prove that he is still a top linebacker in this league, even if he has obviously lost a step from his absolute prime.
We've seen so many older players, including linebackers, maintain a high level, and another impending free agent in Bobby Wagner of the Washington Commanders falls under that category. David can be just as good for the Bucs next season if they can add the right pieces around him, such as players like Cassius Marsh or Devin Lloyd in the NFL Draft and free agency.
David's story is yet to be fully written in the NFL, and while he is no longer seen as a bona fide star at the linebacker position, any narrative like this is just waiting to be changed.