If we are reading between the lines, legendary Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David certainly sounded like someone who may have already come to terms with the end of his NFL career.
Following a 16-14 home win over the Carolina Panthers in the Week 18 regular season finale to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive, David was hit with a barrage of questions about whether or not he’d played the final game of his 14-year career — all of which has been spent with the Buccaneers.
“Well, I’m going to see what happens with the Saints first,” David said, laughing. ” … but I’m going to pray on it, you know what I’m saying? Talk to my family about it. And whenever that moment or that decision comes I’m going to be straight forward about it and shoot you straight about it, but right now I have no idea.”
The Buccaneers need the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in order to clinch the NFC South Division title. If the Falcons defeat the Saints, the Panthers win the NFC South.
David tied Derrick Brooks for the top spot on the Buccaneers’ career tackles list with 1,716 tackle with 6 tackles along with 1 fumble recovery.
David One Of NFL’s Greatest LBs Of All Time
Replacing David will be no small task — he’s one of the the most underrated linebackers of all time. He’s also one of the greatest.
Selected in the second round (No. 58 overall) out of Nebraska in the 2012 NFL draft, David has never missed more than 4 games in a single season and has 11 seasons over 100 tackles, including one NFL All-Pro selection in 2016 — when he had just 87 tackles — along with 2 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl win in 2020.
Whether he ends up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is another debate.
Figuring Out Who Will Replace David
One recent Bleacher Report mock draft had the Buccaneers selecting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in the first round (No. 22 overall) of its latest 2026 NFL mock draft.
The Buccaneers are searching for a long-term replacement for Lavonte David, and Ohio State’s Sonny Styles might be the perfect fit,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder said. “The former defensive back has the athleticism to be an effective coverage linebacker and more strength at the point of attack than one might think.”
Styles, 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, is the type of player who could become a team’s centerpiece at inside linebacker for the next decade. He’s a 2-time All-Big Ten pick, won a College Football Playoff National Championship in the 2024 season and earned All-American honors in 2025.
Sonny Styles was actually a starting safety for Ohio State in 2023 before he converted to linebacker in 2024.
“(Styles)does a tremendous job of covering ground and is underrated in coverage,” Yahoo! Sports NFL draft analyst Andrew Harbaugh wrote on June 17. “I really appreciated his ability to close on runners outside the numbers and the run defense he gave the Buckeyes in the playoffs. He also does a tremendous job of tracking the ball by watching the quarterback’s eyes, so it allows him to stay with them and potentially even be in play to get his hands on it in the air, or be in play to lay hands on the receiver. Lots of room for improvement, but I like his heat seeking ability and the playmaking it serves.”
Buccaneers LB Lavonte David Sends Clear Message on Retirement