Lavonte David retires after 14 seasons with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Longtime linebacker and defensive captain Lavonte David announced his retirement from the NFL on March 24.
The sea change for the 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers continues to wash over the franchise. Longtime linebacker and defensive captain Lavonte David , 36, became the latest Buc to debark, announcing his retirement March 24 and bringing a standout 14-year career to an end. Forever a Buccaneer š“āā ļø Congratulations on retirement, Lavonte.
pic. twitter. com/8ET8CPdeRd ā Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 24, 2026 Selected out of Nebraska in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft ā pre-dating the Bucs ' horrid alarm clock font uniforms by two years for added context ā David spent his entire career in Tampa, earning first- or second-team All-Pro honors three times.
He was a mainstay for the Super Bowl 55 champions, who won the Lombardi Trophy as a wild-card entry with Tom Brady in 2020, before winning four consecutive NFC South crowns ā that streak coming to an end on the final weekend of the 2025 regular season. David's 1,716 career tackles are a club record. He also accumulated 42Ā½ career sacks from his off-ball position, forced 33 fumbles and intercepted 14 passes.
He's a shoo-in for the Bucs' Ring of Honor , and don't be surprised if no player wears No. 54 in Tampa Bay again. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will likely be a much longer shot but isn't out of the question, either.