Lavonte David “Playing Like He’s 25”
November 14th, 2025
Todd Bowles reacts.
So Bucs icon Lavonte David is halfway through his 14th NFL season. He turns 36 in January.
Joe asked head coach Todd Bowles about that today.
David has disappeared completely from the Tampa Bay injury report, which had shown him with a knee issue for weeks. David’s tackle totals increased the past two games (9 against New England; 10 against New Orleans).
So what’s the state of No. 54, Coach?
“We don’t worry about his age; we worry about his legs,” Bowles said of David. “His legs look great. He’s playing like he’s 25. I don’t worry about [Lavonte]. I know he’s going to be ready to play.”
It’s a big Sunday ahead for David against the run-heavy Bills. Buffalo also is the team that seriously recruited David to play for them in free agency two years ago. Joe’s confident David remembers that well and that might put a little extra juice in his game Sunday.
The Bucs need their defensive playmakers to step up. David hasn’t had a sack, a forced fumble or a quarterback hit in the past three games.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
We’ll all miss LVD after he retires this season
November 14th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Why does he have to dramatize it. LVD is the man and we need him but I hope he retires at the end of the year because he’s showing his age.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Just got my 50 year anniversary Fire the Cannons hardback book. There is no spotlight section on LVD. Instead: Kwon Alexander. What the actual F.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Ironman!
November 14th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
His missed tackle rate in the worst of his career.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
LVD54 HOFer!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Oh brother…
How ridiculous.
PFF has LVD graded out at a 58.8 – which is #51 out of #80 ILBs in the NFL.
So he is playing like a 25 year old back-up ILB.
Congrats!!!
Sorry but this team is wasting 25% of it’s entire salary cap on Evans, Godwin and LVD.
But hey no worries – the Bucs lead the league in loyalty to washed up players.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
No he’s not!
November 14th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Worried these backup guards are going to ruin this game.
November 14th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Haven’t seen anything positive out of any of them except maybe Haggard and Jordan once in a while.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:03 pm
He has lost a step but is smarter than ever.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
People saying he has lost a step are wrong.
He has only lost a step recently because he’s been dealing with a knee injury for weeks.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
25 lol. hardly. everyone loves LVD but he isnt playing like he’s 25.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
LVD is great, but his production has fallen off. Partially because of age, partially because of defensive game calling, and partially because his team mates are not holding up their part of the bargain. Lots of idiotic play at LB and in the secondary.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Watch the defensive secondary against Buffalo. They’re healthy and LVD has been on their cases. 7-3, Bucs!!
November 14th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Tru warrior. Best to ever wear a Bucs jersey. Check the stats n I ain’t talking pro bowls
November 14th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
I like all the idiots earlier this year bashing David before the Seattle game, then he goes out and has the game winning play. No idea where the hatred for him and Godwin and Evans comes from other than likely some sort of repressed feelings due to hanging out in one too many locker rooms.
November 14th, 2025 at 2:56 pm
Playing like he is 25 wtf settle down no he isn’t.
November 14th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Do we get an Ira podcast today? I need it for this rush hour traffic!
November 14th, 2025 at 3:09 pm
David may have lost a step, but I wish Dennis was even close to David at mlb. The Bucs have missed on a mlb for 2 years in a row. He is consistant at being lost at different times each week for explosive plays it appears. Right now he is killing us there. It it just me or is Winfield lost some where too?. It seems the only people playing on defense are Vita, David, Parrish, and Dean. The rookie Roberts appears to be improving. Nelson is always good for spot plays, and he plays hard.
November 14th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Nashville, thanks for the heads up about the 50th anniversary book and its lame recollection of history. I don’t think I’ll be buying it now.
November 14th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Marine Buc … ‘Sorry but this team is wasting 25% of it’s entire salary cap on Evans, Godwin and LVD.’
The 3 of them together make an annual salary of $51.5 mil, which is 18% of our $284 mil Adjusted Salary Cap. But look at some other teams, like Cincinnati. Joe Burrow is on IR making $55 mil average annual salary, which is 19% of their $287 mil Adjusted Salary Cap … for just ONE player. And there are several other teams in exactly the same situation.
In our case, at least LVD is still playing. I’m confident he’ll end up in the HOF, and I view him as a huge inspiration to our youngsters. Godwin was having a banner year last season until he got zapped in Game 7 (576 yds, 5 TDs with a 80.6% catch percentage). And we both remember Mike Evans having a solid 2024 (1004 yds, 11 TDs with a 67.2% catch percentage).
Bad doodoo happens (I keep telling myself that after having quad-bypass heart surgery, 3 melanoma surgeries and a very recent emergency gall bladder removal, all since January). I’m confident that Jason & Todd made the best decisions they could at the time. Roll the dice & hope you live to play another day. You’ve been there; you know what I mean.
November 14th, 2025 at 4:20 pm
TBBF plays like he’s 25, but TBBF wasn’t worth a $hit at 25.
November 14th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Defense Rules Says:
I’m confident that Jason & Todd made the best decisions they could at the time. Roll the dice & hope you live to play another day. You’ve been there; you know what I mean.
*********************************
Yep, if no one were hurt there wouldn’t be a single rational doubter posting negatives about any Bucs decisions. Like you said, crap happens.
November 14th, 2025 at 5:11 pm
We all have eyes, Lavonte has def lost a step this year, but is still playing very solid ball.
LVD at 35 years old is still light years ahead of SVD.
As for the salary cap hit of him, Evans and Godwin – no one could have foreseen Evans breaking his collar bone and missing the whole season. Godwin OTOH seems like a questionable re-signing, though I understand why they wanted him back. It was definitely a gamble which so far has not paid off. Time will tell, but I don’t have a great feeling about Chris’ future.
November 14th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
Dang DR, hope you’re recovering well from all that!
November 14th, 2025 at 5:29 pm
Licht’s solid drafts year after year mitigate any salary cap mistakes..
November 14th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Love LVD. Personifies Buccaneers tradition of stellar defensive players and just a helluva guy. Not sure about playing like a 25 year old but still a great leader on this team.
November 14th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
LVD has been a great player but he is on the back end of his career. So it says a lot about Todd if he thinks that LVD is playing like a 25 year old. Says that he has no idea what he’s talking about. If Todd can’t tell LVD has slowed down to barely a crawl then he is not a head coach.
November 14th, 2025 at 6:06 pm
we all love LVD……………but yo!
November 14th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Hey Marine Buc…..how dare you even utter the word “loyalty!” With your constant trashing of the team and saying you’re the only true fan. You obviously have no clue as to the meaning of loyalty.
November 14th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
i’ll say this…LVD is an organizational pilar…
and i kinda do hope he returns next year…
and i kinda do hope we also upgrade ILB some as well…
nuff said
November 14th, 2025 at 6:14 pm
True Bucs Icon, he ain’t playing like he did when he was 25.
November 14th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Need two new ILBs next season. Dennis isn’t good enough as a backup, David needs to hang it up. All the blood you’re going to get out of that stone
November 14th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
@DR
Glad you’re ok bro. Been there – 6 way (that partially failed), 3 aneurysms, including my aorta repaired, emergency blood clot surgery on my leg. Shlt does indeed happen.
As far as LVD goes bro has given his heart and soul to the Bucs. People act as if it’s their money the Glazers are spending. He is “THAT MAN”
November 14th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
Anyone bad mouthing Lavonte David. Should be lined up and summarily executed. He can leave when he’s freaking ready. Same goes for Mike. Anyone here thinks they know football. Sorry. You don’t. Lavonte has lost a step. The legs are Always the first to go. His experience and leadership and production are off the charts. Mike broke his collarbone. Give me a break. He’s resting his hammy, heck he will be ready to go 5 or 6 weeks. Hopefully Lavonte can feel it one more year. And Mike 2 more. Maybe 3. Anyone thinks Mike should go should be blindfolded and hustled over to the line disrespecting Lavonte. Then just leave their bodies for the vermin.
November 14th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
I would not be surprised to find that LVD is playing at a comparable level of many 25 year old linebackers. I hate to see him go whenever he is through. He is a great human being also.
I fully expect we will draft an ILB in a high round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Go Bucs!
November 14th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Hodad … ‘Need two new ILBs next season. Dennis isn’t good enough as a backup, David needs to hang it up.’
Agree with the need for 2 new ILBs next season, but that’ll be extremely tricky. LVD will decide to hang it up; Bucs aren’t gonna tell him to do so. SVD is perfectly adequate as a backup, just not as a starter. Not at all sure what we have in John Bullock (or Nick Jackson on the Practice Squad) as ILBs, but gut feel is that Deion Jones won’t be here next year (dressed for every game, but only has 53 def snaps).
Our problem, as always, will be salary CAP money to buy free agents and draft picks. Anyone doubt that a top priorities will be WR, OLB, DT, OLine & ILB (in some who-knows-what order?). And we’ve got 22 FAs & will have to re-sign probably half of those to stay viable. JL’s got his work cut out for him.
November 14th, 2025 at 7:56 pm
DR, you and me both aren’t sure what we have in Bullock and Jackson. But I’d say it’s high time we find out. If he can give Morrison some snaps he can dang sure get the same amount of snaps to one of those guys each week.
November 14th, 2025 at 8:39 pm
1 more year Lavonte to help bring along CJ Allen or Whit Weeks please….
November 14th, 2025 at 8:45 pm
Todd sees what’s up with LaVonte, he is just showing him some well deserved love.
November 14th, 2025 at 9:04 pm
Lavonte is my favorite football player in the world. He’s been everything I hoped he’d be as the spiritual replacement for Brooks. That 2013 season was the greatest I’ve ever seen from a lb. I’ll be sad when he retires… soon.
November 14th, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I’m glad he got Brady for a few years. He deserved it.
He is a future HOF’er.
Sad is wasting these last few years with Todd. Shameful.
SMDH
November 14th, 2025 at 9:20 pm
Nope. His decline is obvious and predictable and they did nothing to mitigate it or strengthen the ILB position as a whole. It’s a defense based on the premise a professional quarterback is going to panic for 4 quarters straight every single time he sees a blitz.
November 14th, 2025 at 10:18 pm
B. I watched Maye play last night. It was against the Jets, but remember he’s won 9 straight games now. And last night, he completed like about his first dozen passes and quickly got his team ahead. Our defense won’t have 4 broken plays like that again. Cook is excellent but I don’t see our defense letting him run. New Orleans whipped Canales with that new QB Shough 5 days ago. The QB we beat up the week before after Rattler cried uncle. And B. We may have some ILB depth in Bullock or Jackson. Both are good football players. Saw them in preseason and special teams. This defense was close to crossing the hump. That pick late 4th quarter by Tykee almost turned into the winning points. If Otten makes a catch we’re winning 23-21. The premise you state of a professional QB in relation to the blitz may apply to you panicking whenever our ship faces a storm.
November 15th, 2025 at 7:14 am
Nothing wrong with a head coach being supportive of a player, but if you do it to a fault, you lose credibility. Bowels statement was ludicrous.
November 15th, 2025 at 7:39 am
I love LVD. If he was playing like he was 25, we’d have 1-2 less losses… Because LVD at 25 was ridiculously good. I’ll split the difference and say he’s playing like he’s 30… which was still 6 years ago.
November 15th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
As the Good Book says (depending upon the translation):
“Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Don’t knock Lavonte’s soul or body getting some extra help.
And, where does Dennis rank in comparison to David?
November 15th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
orlbucfan Says:
November 15th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
&&&Good lord, DR, how old are you? Your medical issues are beyond the pale! I figured you were younger than me. Please get back to 100%!! Well, LVD has always been right up there in my respect for HOF Bucs.777777 He’s just as good as Brooks was. I still say this game will come down to the Defense especially the secondary.333 The Offense will go as Grizzard blows. Hope Feisty Bake will correct some of the greenhorn’s calls. Go Bucs, 7-3!!22222
November 15th, 2025 at 6:21 pm
orlbucfan. Been having some good laughs reading your posts this last several days. Apparently something awash with sender. Don’t take this wrong but I figured you were probably older than all the of us. And like I said, don’t take that wrong.