Tampa Bay Buccaneers bringing back LB Lavonte David on 2-year, $25M deal, source says
TAMPA, Fla. -- Coach Bruce Arians made good on his word at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl parade, when he told inside linebacker Lavonte David, "Your ass ain't going nowhere."
The Bucs on Tuesday agreed to terms with David on a two-year deal worth $25 million, with $20 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN, keeping one of the league's premier inside linebackers from hitting free agency.
The move comes just a few hours after the Bucs franchise-tagged wide receiver Chris Godwin, whom Arians also told at the parade, "Your ass ain't going nowhere, either."
David, who has quietly been one of the league's better inside linebackers since he was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2012 draft, only missed seven total snaps during the 2020 season.
He registered 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, 6 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 2 recoveries during the regular season, and he added 26 more tackles and a sack in the postseason as the Bucs won Super Bowl LV.
The longest-tenured player on the team and a captain for seven consecutive seasons, David, who turned 31 in January, is looked up to in the locker room and is largely credited for the development of Devin White, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2020.
In his nine NFL seasons, David has 1,124 tackles, 24 sacks, 128 tackles for loss, 55 QB hits, 12 interceptions, 52 passes defensed, 24 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries and 3 defensive touchdowns.
Popular Reads
ABC News Live