The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began the 2025 NFL season as Super Bowl contenders and ended it as an 8-9 team that was the definition of mediocrity and failed to make the playoffs in the weak NFC South, blowing a division lead to the Carolina Panthers while even looking like second class citizens in comparison to the rival Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football before the final close of the campaign.
There were so many things wrong with the Buccaneers, but nothing got highlighted more than the defense. Just about nobody played to their true talent level, and maybe only elite and criminally underrated defensive tackle Vita Vea can hold his head high after THAT season.
Yes, even the now retired Lavonte David, a Bucs captain and legend at the inside linebacker position, was a huge disappointment. He will be missed, but David did not play his best season, and he actually admitted that he was not showing enough effort last season. David even got real and said that his teammates were calling him out to his face for not giving the same effort he usually does, and he looked inside himself and admitted they were right, which played a key role in him deciding to hang up the spikes after the 2025 NFL regular season ended.
Lavonte David didn't give his all
Lavonte David said on The Rush with Maxx Crosby podcast, “I loafed. I take full accountability for that. And like, for them to call me out on that, like for me being the veteran on the team and they called me out? I’m like, ‘No, Lavonte, that ain’t you, bro.’ And that kind of like stuck with me. Like, ‘I’m trippin’. I gotta lock back in.'”
Honestly, big ups to David, a massive star and an absolute legend of the Buccaneers organization, to come right out and admit that, but, wow, it's wild to hear a player of David's stature and leadership say that he was zoning out on plays and not giving his full effort. He is the last person you would think to hear that about, and you can just feel the disappointment he has in himself for things getting to that point.
Now, it's understandable that father time catches up to everyone mentally and physically, even legends like Lavonte David, but it really shows you how far the standard fell in the Bucs defense - and it is no wonder the Buccaneers defense fell off as bad as it did in the second half of the season if even a veteran leader and star player like David is not locking in properly.
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