Lavonte David Talks “Hard Times” And “Flashbacks”
February 18th, 2026
(A May 2019 photo)
What happened last season to cause the Bucs’ implosion?
It’s a painful subject.
How did the Bucs lose to the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Dolphins in consecutive weeks? In December!
Joe remains in disbelief but largely has moved on.
Lavonte David has moved on, as well, but he described the pain of that stretch during his recent visit to the Caps Off podcast.
He elaborated on his quote that the Bucs “sh*t the bed” after starting 6-2.
“I’ve been through hard times like that before, but with the talented team that we had, it’s kind of like very, very difficult,” David said.
The Bucs’ captain and linebacker legend blamed “injuries, lot of plug-and-play guys, lot of people not really kind of like getting their feel and stuff like that,” among other things.
The pain was so bad, David said, it brought him back to his dark days of Bucs history after being drafted in 2012.
“It was tough. It was hard, just having flashbacks to the past [years of The Lost Decade]; I kind of thought those days was over,” David said of last season’s losing stretch. “I still think they are over, but it was just a tough, tough year, for sure.”
February 18th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
To hear some fans talk, you’d think the 2025 team was worse than the ones under Lovie Smith’s leadership during the lost decade. I remember those days. It was really difficult being a Bucs fan back then.
February 18th, 2026 at 4:45 pm
I have about heard enough of the lavonte David cry me a river show
February 18th, 2026 at 4:50 pm
blamed “injuries, lot of plug-and-play guys, lot of people not really kind of like getting their feel and stuff like that,”. That’s where coaching matters the most!! Pretty obvious if you look across the league at the teams with the most injuries and who was able to adapt and who wasn’t.
February 18th, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Wearing my Lavonte David jersey until he returns
February 18th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
How did the Bucs lose to the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Dolphins in consecutive weeks?
Answer: Todd Bowles and his trash Swiss cheese defense
But in their infinite wisdom, the Glazer kids decided to run it back after one of the most epic collapses in Bucs history.
Gruden was fired for less. And he actually won an SB as HC.
But who needs titles when you have “culture”.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:08 pm
Get him out along with Bowles. 2 Has Beens.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:09 pm
His time is up.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:12 pm
Blah blah blah…
Remove all the stink from OneBuc…blow it up
February 18th, 2026 at 5:18 pm
#54 is our leader and we need him back
But must draft an ILB next to him in Rd 1 or 2
February 18th, 2026 at 5:30 pm
Sonny Styles at #15. He takes LVD’s job and LVD can take SVDs job for a season if he stays.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
It was certainly not Todd Bowles’s fault. A head coach is not responsible for a compete and utter collapse. It’s everyone else’s fault.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Gotta agree with some of the comments – enough of Lavonte boo-booing.
Maybe cupcake practices and walkthroughs had a lot to do with the plug and play guys…. You play like you practice and losing 7 of the last 9 tells many fans a lot about how little the defense practiced during the week.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:37 pm
Hard times? 2008 – 2020 were hard times. And its looking like we’re headed
That direction currently. If Mike leaves and godwin goes down with another
Injury next year itd a 5 win season and since so many draft busts in the last
years with no solid free agent pick ups or trades it could be another lost decade.
Hope im wrong.
February 18th, 2026 at 6:01 pm
Decade of the turtle. Todd has 3 more years.
February 18th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Even the games we WON early on the season were squeakers. Didn’t take much of a dropoff to turn those into losses
February 18th, 2026 at 6:13 pm
Everything can be traced back to losing both our guards for the year. It’s a completely different football team when you lose the ability to run block and protect your quarterback so he can throw the ball. Hopefully we have much better depth on the O-line this year. It’s very hard to have great depth everywhere- but losing a bunch of O-line starters or players in your secondary make it really easy for your opponent to take advantage of the losses.
February 18th, 2026 at 6:18 pm
This is the LVD bitching and whining off season channel. How many interviews can he make where he says the same thing over and over. Loved his play when he was on top of his game but it’s time to move on. He had zero impact on the players around him last few years.
February 18th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
Injuries, Couldn’t keep the qb upright ,couldn’t make a stop on D
February 18th, 2026 at 8:05 pm
UNFORGIVEABLE Defensive performances by our Bucs last season. But theGlazers .love Mediocrity. So, grab some wood, fellow Buc Fans, it’s a Buc Life.
February 18th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Wow David was having flashbacks of the lost decade and yup it looked that bad but let’s run it back again because culture baby whatever that means how about a winning culture can we try that culture this time?
February 18th, 2026 at 9:13 pm
Thank you now retire 🤙🏾 Mahalo
February 18th, 2026 at 11:26 pm
The Bucs should hire me as GM… I just did a mock draft on PFF, and man did I get a haul…
I started the draft by trading Baker and a 1st to the Raiders for the #1 and a 3rd.
I then traded the #1 to the Cards for #3, their 2nd and 4th rounders, then their 1st and 4th rounders in 2027.
Then I traded the #3 pick, as well as a 4th and 5th to the Raiders for the #15 and … Baker Mayfield.
So for cost of a 4th and 5th and a 1st next year, I got the Cards 2nd this year, their 1st and 4th rounders next year, plus a Raiders 3rd rounder this year.
BTW, with that #15th pick – I added a 4th rounder, then I flipped it to the Vikings for their #18 pick, plus a 2nd and took TE Kenyon Sadiq.
So I ended the round with two extra 2nd rounders, and an extra 3rd rounder.
For all of that, PFF gave me an A-.
Wait… did I just do the same thing they did in the movie Draft Day? That movie was so stupid I think it caused brain damage and I tried to block it out, but didn’t they do some nonsense like that?
February 19th, 2026 at 12:33 am
@ Yeahmetoo Says: ““since so many draft busts in the last
years with no solid free agent pick ups or trades it could be another lost decade.”
I mean, why would you expect anything differently!? Same GM who was responsible for the last 6-YEARS, and 60% of it. This is just HIM reverting back to the norm. More of the same old now that Brady is long gone and an improving south division and NFC conference.
February 19th, 2026 at 12:39 am
@ Rod Munch – NO. Because, that is ‘unrealistic’ right off the BAT. There is absolutely NO WAY IN HAIL the Raiders are giving UP the #1-overall PICK for Baker Mayfield, a 3rd friggin fonder, and the the Bucs #15 Pick. Now, That’s Just LUDICROUS. Especially, when you consider a YOUNG Mendoza on a ‘ROOKIE’ DEAL (or anyone else they could take really, or get back from the Jets or whomever). For BAKER MAYFIELD. Please. Come-On. Just STOPPPPP. That’s soooo ABSURD.
February 19th, 2026 at 12:44 am
Rod Munch – I’m not even reading anymore of THAT GARBAGE, Rod. But, the CARDINALS nor anyone else is giving up ALL OF THAT, EITHER. Come-on, Man. It’s LAUGHABLE. On top of that trans will be holding onto those 2027-PICKS like I don’t know what… ESPECIALLY, 2027 1st AND 2nd-Rounders. NONE of what you propose is based in any kind of reality. Either, give me some of what you’ve got or just go to bed, Man. Lmao
February 19th, 2026 at 12:46 am
You must have “Fair Trades” toggled in the OFF position. Cause, those are ABSURD. Not Realistic, at ALL.
February 19th, 2026 at 1:04 am
Baker in silver and black……there are worse scenarios.
February 19th, 2026 at 1:13 am
And, IF the Cards were willing to offer THAT (which they wouldn’t), then the Raiders couldn’t accept-it FAST ENOUGH.
February 19th, 2026 at 1:31 am
I enjoyed Rod’s experience. Some readers who are easily triggered should get a prescription. Actually we all should – except Todd was retained. Whoo. Close one.
February 19th, 2026 at 1:40 am
Still love LVD.
February 19th, 2026 at 2:00 am
Some of the comments on here reveal a dark truth
That many Americans and Bucs fans are just plain heartless and classless.
Badmouthing and disrespecting Lavonte David?
Lavonte David???
The Hall of Fame linebacker and Bucs legend??
Even if you want him to retire, that’s fine, but show aome respect!
February 19th, 2026 at 3:58 am
David has never been known as a vocal leader. Now he can’t shut up. David is a Buc legend, but he was part of the problem on defense last year, and he won’t make the defense better if he decides to return this year. Thank you for your service, but it’s past time to move on.
February 19th, 2026 at 7:29 am
The Glazers were hoping that some of this fierce blowback from retaining Bowles would subside by now. What a miscalculation that was! We’re not going to let the cowards off the hook that easy. The basically sabotaged the 2026 season by keeping the fraud employed when 31 other teams would of booted his a$$ 10 minutes after the last game. Pretty much every single metric you could come up with screamed fire this incompetent fool but when you have cowards as owners this is what we get.
February 19th, 2026 at 7:33 am
Names please, give us names of the clueless and quitters.
February 19th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
MelvinJunior – I was actually mocking how absurd the PFF mock draft tool is. None of it is realistic, that was the point. The Raiders aren’t trading for Baker, then trading him back at a discount a couple of picks later.
February 19th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
MelvinJunior Says:
February 19th, 2026 at 12:46 am
You must have “Fair Trades” toggled in the OFF position. Cause, those are ABSURD. Not Realistic, at ALL.
——-
Also, no, I did not force trades or rig the system in any way. It’s just an absurd setup.
The mock draft tool is interesting for someone like me that doesn’t follow college football – it gives me an idea of who I need to read up on, and in particular when it comes to mid-round picks, when looking at positions, it can give a general idea of where guys might go (over the years it’s not been too far off on probably 85% of picks). But once you introduce trades it becomes absurd, reminds me of playing Madden.
February 21st, 2026 at 1:21 am
I love Lavonte, one of my favorite Bucs ever. But he’s not a leader who holds people’s feet to the fire. Way too many mental collapses by his teammates over the years.