“He’s Been In The Building Doing Some Rehab”
February 25th, 2026
Lavonte David news.
Does this smell like the move of a player ready to retire?
Guess what Lavonte David has been doing during some of his winter vacation. He’s been at One Buc Palace.
Keep in mind David is known for spending his offseasons in his hometown of Miami.
The news came from Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht himself, speaking yesterday on WDAE radio (shortly before Mike Evans’ oily agent embarrassed himself). Licht said he doesn’t know what David is thinking right now regarding a decision to play in 2026. However, Licht said, “I know he’s been in the building doing some rehab.”
Why would David be doing “rehab” with the Bucs if he isn’t leaning toward playing next season?
It’s not like David had a major injury and he is a pending free agent. Perhaps David had offseason surgery, a cleanup on his knee? Joe is speculating, but man, Joe is very curious as to David’s motivation to be at team headquarters.
David might want the Bucs to watch him train — to see how strong and responsive his body is in hopes of scoring a bigger contract offer.
The David situation is getting interesting. Bucs officials plan to meet with David’s representative(s) this week.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
If he’s coming back it needs to be as LB2. At this stage of his career he can’t be your best off-ball linebacker
February 25th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
Good if it helps him in his old age but get him out now, He has contributed well. Old BrokeBucs should get access to rehab facilities and good physical health help in retirement. Old injuries surface in your old age. Of course they can afford private help if they did not squander the millions they were paid.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
@ DOM
Agree with you, but let me add the Bucs, but if you don’t mind, if LVD comes back, we will need a LB #1, because he will be #2.
And I love the guy dearly.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
I’m all for LVD coming back. Reduce his snaps and get some young blood in the rotation.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Jacob Rodriguez had formal meetings with the Cowboys and the Broncos today. And he has one more formal meeting tonight with-drum roll please…the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
February 25th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
I’m just curious to see how well LVD is moving once his knee is healed. I mean, weekly fluid drainings last season? That will slow down even the fastest LB’s. After that knee is 100%, then let’s see if he has truly lost a step (or five), and if he hasn’t, then he should be back, assuming he still desires to play.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Again, you have to be realistic and plan for life without David – but if he IS healthy, does regain at least half a step from last year, then yeah – absolutely you want him back. But you have to act like he won’t be there, then if he is and is back healthy it’s a huge bonus.
February 25th, 2026 at 1:52 pm
What Rod Munch said!
February 25th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
Met Lavonte at training camp six years back and he’s a class act in addition to an all time Bucs great. Hoping he retires a Buc and sticks around the building helping this organization for decades.
February 25th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
In the NFL at David’s age, you don’t regain that lost step or 2. Not at his position, it’s gone. Father time has caught up with him. Don’t know why he cannot come to terms with this. I just fear that if he returns, Bowkes will start him. Thus cementing another season in Mediocrity.
February 25th, 2026 at 3:03 pm
Tremaine Edwards is seeking a trade or will likely be released by the Bears.
February 25th, 2026 at 3:07 pm
Let’s all be honest here. That position needs an upgrade. It is Time!
February 25th, 2026 at 3:07 pm
He’d obviously be awesome depth. But need higher upside from the front 7 starters. More violence, size, and speed.
February 25th, 2026 at 3:07 pm
Mike Johnson Says:
February 25th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
In the NFL at David’s age, you don’t regain that lost step or 2. Not at his position, it’s gone. Father time has caught up with him. Don’t know why he cannot come to terms with this. I just fear that if he returns, Bowkes will start him. Thus cementing another season in Mediocrity.
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There was a time when in offseason, NFL players would stay in their team city and begin to develop skills for an after football career. Some would become insurance salesmen, bankers, etc. With the money in the NFL today, this isn’t as necessary. Many of these guys just don’t know what to do with themselves once they leave the game. The consequence is many hang on too long. Having watched multiple times all the 2025 Bucs games, it is past time for LVD to retire. Maybe the Bucs can find something for him to do in the organization? The fans on these pages are clamoring for linebacker help in the draft for good reason. Somebody needs to level with LVD.
February 25th, 2026 at 3:28 pm
Clearly the result of some Todd Bowles feedback, the exercises he’s doing were prescribed by the Bucs hands on, active coach.
February 25th, 2026 at 3:28 pm
You can’t rehab old age. Boop, or get off the pot already David.
February 25th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
Mike Johnson … ‘I just fear that if he returns, Bowkes will start him.’
I’m afraid of exactly the same thing Mike. Bucs’ defense lacked FIELD LEADERSHIP these past couple of years, even with LVD out there. We NEED some new blood that’s not only top-of-the-line TALENT, but also great FIELD LEADERS.
Bucs have had their best defenses when we’ve had quality FIELD LEADERS in 3 locations: DLine, LBs, Secondary. Back in the Dungy years that was Sapp, Brooks, Lynch. Back in the BA years that was Suh, LVD & not sure who in the Secondary. But who stood out last season as our FIELD LEADERS on defense?
Offense has some quality field leadership (Mayfield, Bredeson, Evans come to mind), but we’re missing that on defense. Take LVD off the field, and the FIELD LEADERSHIP situation gets even worse, UNLESS we bring in at least a couple of quality FAs (DT & ILB might be nice adds for that, and HOPEFULLY Antoine Winfield finds his former self & becomes the Secondary’s leader).
I wouldn’t mind seeing LVD re-sign, but NOT as a starter. Give him a reasonable contract as a part-timer, but with quality incentives (for sacks, TFLs, etc) and use him largely in 3 ILB packages (that’d allow him to blitz a bunch without us compromising pass coverage).
February 25th, 2026 at 4:09 pm
I would love to trade back twice and get an extra 2nd round and an extra 3rd round pick.
Imagine two 2nd round picks and two 3rd round picks?
Imagine drafting a MLB in the 2nd and a MLB in the 3rd.
And Lavonte comes back for 1 more year to mentor TWO middle linebackers.
1st round: trade back twice. Get an extra 2nd and an extra 3rd.
2nd round: MLB
2nd round: DE
3rd round: MLB
3rd round: DT
4th round: NT
Beef up the middle of the defense!
Sign a free agent EDGE.
February 25th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
To fix our Defense, you start with Edge1 and ILB2 next to David.
Then CB and Depth. Simple as that
February 25th, 2026 at 4:44 pm
Looking like our Leader is coming back and that is something Tampa Bay should be elated about. This is not the year to have tio fill his leadership void. Fill the holes around him first, we still need 2 ILBs lol
February 25th, 2026 at 5:18 pm
Coaches need to carefully study whether he has improved mobility with his repaired healthy knee. If he does, re-sign him. If he doesn’t, be straight with him.
Front 7 has a lot of needs. Would be nice if his position wasn’t one of them for one more year at least… also teacherman, I’ve been preaching trading back almost non-stop. If Styles is gone, that’s exactly what we should do. Trade back a good 10 spots so you get a second rounder, then trade your 2 second rounders back for 3 third rounders. Picks in 1st:1 2nd:2 and 3rd:3. That’s enough to almost completely retool our front 7 with high quality fast/strong young players! With sufficient research, we could steal a boatload of talent.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Imagine how many 7th round picks we could stock up on by trading down every round. And with the player interchangeability features of Todd’s defense, it wouldn’t negatively affect the performance on the field. Seriously, who doesn’t marvel at how close the Bucs were to stopping the Falcons on 3rd and 28? That’s a tough defensive call. Not like it was 3rd and 43.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:34 pm
BootyLover … ‘Tremaine Edwards is seeking a trade or will likely be released by the Bears.’
Yup, Bears granted Edwards permission to seek a trade because he’s a potential salary CAP casualty this year (his $15 mil salary this year isn’t guaranteed). He was a Rnd-1 pick by Buffalo in 2018, and they picked up his 5th year, but he went to Chicago in 2023 for the $$$ (4 years – $72 mil). He’s had a very nice career as a MLB in both the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses.
Edwards (6’4″ & 251 lbs) is a beast who runs a 4.54 sec 40. He’s not a big sack artist (about 1 sack & 3 QB hits per year average) but he’s a tackling machine (over 110 tackles average per year). Also excellent in pass coverage for a MLB (average of 72.3% completions allowed over 8 years, ranging from 62.3% – 79.3%). He’s also gotten 3 INTs in the past 3 yrs. His availability over his career has been quite good for a MLB, averaging over 15 games & 900 def snaps per year.
I don’t know if we could afford him, but at only 28 years old in May, he should would be a real nice addition to our defense.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Next take a close look at Devin Lloyd, who is a free agent we wouldn’t need to trade for! He’s even better against the pass…Sign him and Chubb and we could take BPA for most of the draft!
February 25th, 2026 at 5:53 pm
Dom Says
“If he’s coming back it needs to be as LB2. At this stage of his career he can’t be your best off-ball linebacker.”
I don’t think he’s regressed at all. He was balling in 2024.
Last season as bad for the entire team. If 2026 is as bad as 2025, then sure, he should retire or be depth. But 85%of Lavante David is better than 100% of most ILBS, with only a couple exceptions.
Now, Jason Licht were to sign Singleton…then David should be the #2. Singleton has better stats every year. The two of them together would be beastly.
So, I suppose it depends on who is brought in and who steps up. We have an OLB who could change to ILB and probably become really good.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:58 pm
The Bucs biggest issue at times is trying to do “right” to their aging players. LVD gave this team all he had and had an amazing career. Time to retire.
If LVD comes back, the delusional Bowles will tell JL he’s all set at LBer.
Time to reload the position with a FA and draft pick.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:01 pm
I think we’ll be lucky if the Bucs sign two great free agents…but probably one. If they do, it should be:
1) ILB proven veteran
2) TE proven blocker
Then, a couple averge signings:
3) QB
4) RB
Then, focus on Defense and OG in the draft.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:05 pm
Bowles knows this is liikely his last year coachiiing in the NFL. Even if the Bucs do really well, he’ll probablly rretire next year.
It willl be interesting to see if they go all in for himm.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:26 pm
LVD may not be thinking about retirement just yet and if he does want to play for the Bucs again, he has to pass a pretty comprehensive team physical before he can officially sign a new contract!!!
LVD is officially still under contract for a few more weeks…So, to me, it’s makes perfect sense that he would be taking advantage of rehabbing at the facility – given we all heard about “draining his knee weekly”.
Bucs team physicians & medical staff would be the best source to understand his rehab data points to say “he’s good to go” or not.
February 25th, 2026 at 7:14 pm
They’re going to run it back in 2026.
Bring back the same useless LB core.
Give ME a stupid high contract offer.
Probably sign Baker to a 5-year $250 million contract, fully guaranteed.
Stupid people do stupid things and call themselves smart.
February 25th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
Can always get down to Bogata for some stem cell therapy, he’s got the money
February 25th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
Thanks for your service LVD but the Bucs need a massive upgrade at all the LB positions
February 25th, 2026 at 7:27 pm
Bonzai … ‘I think we’ll be lucky if the Bucs sign two great free agents…but probably one.’
We have no choice Bonza, we HAVE TO sign more free agents than that. Way too many holes to fill.
On offense: Bucs NEED a backup QB (UFA), a starting TE (UFA), and at least 2 backup OLinemen (UFAs). We also NEED another quality RB (preferably a UFA but more likely a rookie), as well as re-signing … or replacing … WR Mike Evans (UFA).
On defense: Bucs NEED a backup DE/DT (UFA … re-sign or replace Hall) and a starting ILB (UFA … replace LVD as starter, but potentially re-sign him as a part-timer). We also need starting Edge (preferably a UFA to replace Reddick … but more likely a rookie), as well as a very talented 2nd ILB (rookie who can start) as well as a beastly DT/NT (rookie to replace Gaines & pair with Vea).
On S/Ts: Bucs NEED to sign a new punter AND a long snapper.
February 25th, 2026 at 7:36 pm
Sounds great meanwhile go get Sonny Styles, Anthony Hill or anyone one that’s good to go as a starter.
February 25th, 2026 at 9:45 pm
I just don’t see Todd saying yeah David I’m gonna need you to sit the bench and honestly rather see linebacker depth playing special teams.
February 25th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
Love David but it’s time to hang it up. If he comes back he needs to more of a role player off the bench limited snaps. We need 2 young starting LBs at this point. It really looks like they are going to try this again with Bowles and his crappy defense he calls with the same defensive roster. If that’s the case this season could get ugly fast.
February 25th, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Looks like if Bucs want Jrod in the 2nd, itll require a trade up. Cowboys will snatch him
February 26th, 2026 at 11:03 am
@DR
That’s exactly the prescription. JL and TB have a whole lot of work to do quickly. If they wait for the first wave of FA to get snapped up, they’ll be dumpster diving for the scraps. We don’t need a pro-bowler at every position but we do need a bunch of solid NFL starters and it won’t be cheap. I have my doubts those 2 have the wherewithal to understand the urgency of the task at hand. They’re more likely to bumble through with a few mid level FA and leave the Lloyd’s and Bushes for the bold. Tough calls like moving on from Evans have to be made. They’ll depend on their drafting genius to pump up the fans but end up with the usual meh. They are kind of stuck with signing quite a number of new acquisitions. It will be an interesting couple of months seeing how they sort out the ’26 roster. There is no one else to blame at this point. If they continue to go whistling through the graveyard their positions will come under scrutiny finally. Division championships won’t be a given to fall back on anymore.