Bucs linebacker Lavonte David has seen a lot over the course of his now 13-year career. There’s no doubt that the NFL is a different league than it was when David was drafted out of Nebraska in 2012, and while things are always changing, that does speak to the Tampa Bay legend’s longevity in the game of football. It’s also why getting his opinion on some of the current hot topics in the NFL is so worthwhile.

David appeared on Ari Meirov’s NFL Spotlight podcast on Tuesday, and a variety of topics were covered. Between the idea of being underrated, the Tom Brady years, the key to his longevity and what it means to him to be a one-team guy, David covered a lot of Bucs-related topics. But Meirov also got his opinion on some of today’s issues in the NFL, and the 34-year-old gave some interesting insight.

Lavonte David Discusses The NFL’s Ban Of The Hip-Drop Tackle

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

One of the biggest rule introductions to the NFL this offseason was the banning of the hip-drop tackle. As defined by the league, “a hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.” Such a tackle will now warrant a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

The rule came about when the league looked at “more than 20,000 tackles over the past two seasons and determined that this specific technique causes lower extremity injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other tackles, resulting in an unacceptable risk to player health and safety.”

That makes sense on the surface, right? But there’s been some controversy to it, as such tackles just simply happen. The injuries have been an unfortunate byproduct, but in plenty of instances, it can be hard for a defender to avoid bringing a ball carrier down in such a manner. So, the NFL’s new rule on hip-drop tackles is undeniably making it more difficult to play defense in today’s league. A cynic might say that plays right into the agenda of the NFL, as the more modern rules have largely favored the offensive side of the ball and emphasized more offense and more points.

Lavonte David is one of many defensive players around the league who has to adjust to this new rule in 2024, and he gave his thoughts on it during his appearance on the NFL Spotlight podcast.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today

“I think it’s pretty significant. I don’t think it’s something you really can control, the hip drop,” David said. “The first instinct going against a ball carrier, you want to get him down. You want to get him down the best way you can. So when you grab somebody by the hips, you just fall down. A lot of unfortunate things happen, some people’s legs might get caught up under you. I just feel like it may be a disadvantage for a defense because you want to get the ball carrier down as quick as you can.

“Now, you have to grab a guy and then think how you’re going to get them down, and that’s just giving them an opportunity to gain more yards and it may be a pivotal down. I guess you’ve just got to find a way to figure it out. Shoot, we’ve been doing that for a very long time. Defense is always at a disadvantage. I feel like guys will find a way to adjust. When I first heard about it, I was obviously like, ‘It’s BS.’ But there ain’t nothing I can do about it.”

Of course, David is right. Like the rule or not, it’s the new reality in the NFL and he, the Bucs defense and the other 31 defenses in the NFL will have to adjust. Despite that, David said there hasn’t been much of an added emphasis on it from coaches thus far.

“We haven’t really talked about it much. I mean, I feel like it can be avoided when you really think about it,” he said. “But… How unnecessary roughness stuff gets called nowadays, I hope it don’t go to that extreme. But I guess, like always, we have to adjust defensively. When you’re in the league, nobody really teaches you how to tackle much. You have certain periods where you do tackling drills and stuff like that, but when you come to the league, they’re expecting that you to know how to tackle and things like that. But that specific tackle, it might be hard to adjust to.”

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles previously said he doesn’t think it’ll be much of an adjustment because the hip-drop isn’t something they teach, but David certainly isn’t the only player unhappy with yet another rule that will make things harder on the defense.

Lavonte David Doesn’t Want An 18-Game NFL Schedule

Another hot topic around the NFL right now is the possibility of an 18th game being added to the regular season at some point in the future. It ultimately feels inevitable, but the NFLPA and its players naturally have some concerns about it. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t end until 2031, so the introduction of an 18-game schedule won’t happen for at least the foreseeable future.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In fact, Lavonte David is certainly going to be retired before that change occurs. But that doesn’t mean David can’t oppose the idea. He has already seen the league go from 16 games for his first nine seasons to the introduction of a 17-game schedule in 2021. But an 18th game

“I’m gonna just straight up say I hope it don’t happen,” David said. “The season is already long as it is. The 16-game season was long as it is. Then this added game, the 17 games, it’s made it… Even though it’s one more game, it feels extremely longer. It feels like five more. It’s a physical football game. People go out, play their hardest, now coaches have to figure out how to take care of players throughout the season.

“Guys gotta find way to take care of themselves throughout the season. It’s just a lot of added stress to the body in different ways. Me personally, I hope it don’t happen. Maybe I’m not in the league when it does happen, hopefully, but if it does, I just hope those guys fight it the best way they can.”

The addition of a second bye week would seem like an absolute must if the league does move to an 18-game regular season schedule in the future. But even then, it’ll make what is already a grind of a season just that much tougher.

For Lavonte David, at least it’s seemingly a problem he won’t have to deal with as a player.