The Bucs are obviously enjoying their 2-0 start to the 2023 season following Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Bears in Tampa Bay’s home opener.

But inside linebacker Devin White might be enjoying the first two weeks of the season more than most.

The Buccaneers had an Instagram post that White commented on following Sunday’s win. The post said: “Waking up on #VictoryMonday like 😁”

White replied and said, “This defense is so fun to be apart (sic) of 😌 I’m stupid for trying to leave ! Young fast physical steppers 🏁🤣”

White has gone so far as saying he was “selfish” for requesting a trade over his contract dispute this offseason, but used the term “stupid” on Monday.

Entering his fifth season in Todd Bowles’ defense, White started the 2023 season with a bang in Minnesota with a team-high 12 tackles. In Sunday’s won over the Bears he was less productive, notching two tackles and a pass breakup.

But White did have a strip-sack in the second half negated by instant replay, which determined that Chicago quarterback Justin Fields’ arm was moving forward a split second before White knocked the ball out of his hand. That would have given the Bucs seven sacks on the day if the play hadn’t been reversed.

Either way, it certainly seems like White is having fun at the start of the 2023 season. And it’s good for the team and the Bucs fan base that he’s had a change of heart about wanting out of Tampa Bay.

Bucs ILB Devin White Has Accepted Playing On His Fifth-Year Option

The Bucs made Devin White, who was Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in 2019, play on his fifth-year option this season and refused to extend his contract despite the linebacker holding out during the offseason and skipping all of the team’s voluntary training and OTA (organized team activity) practices in protest over his current contract situation. White even went so far as to request a trade and expressed his displeasure with the organization several times during the offseason.

White is making $11.706 million this season, which is a significant raise over last year, and he wants a contract extension right now worth between $18 million-$20 million per season. That would put him at or near the top of the highest-paid linebackers. Baltimore’s Roquan Smith is currently the highest-paid inside linebacker with his new deal in 2022 worth $20 million per season.

“I just want to be the guy here for a long time,” White said back in August at a training camp press conference. “After sitting down with Coach [Todd] Bowles and Jason Licht, just understanding their plans for me and what they got in play, coming up with something with those guys just to see how I can do better. Moving forward, I think we all came to a good agreement. Just focusing on the season now.”

There’s no question that Devin White has his legions of fans, and he certainly upset some by going public with his trade request during the offseason. White admitted that he didn’t regret the trade request, but did own up to the fact that he was thinking about himself too much.

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I don’t think there’s no regret,” White continued. “I don’t think it’s just about being paid, it’s about being a guy who was drafted here and doing a lot for this program. (I) just want to be the long-term guy. Just want to be a guy like Lavonte [David], he’s been here forever. I wanted to be that next guy, and we just didn’t make it happen when I wanted to, and that’s where I kind of got a little selfish. Even knowing I still had the fifth-year option and that was a thing in place. I guess early on you don’t realize and you just know ‘Hey, I’m at the end of my contract. Let’s get it in, lock me in.’

“I know I feel comfortable here. I love the coaching staff here. I love (it) all, the teammates and the fans, the ones that went against me or the ones still with me, it’s all love. At the end of the day, I thought that was best for me, but at the end of the day, I’m still here and I came back with a positive mindset and I’m locked in. You all have been watching practice, I’ve been getting in. I’m trying to be the leader for this team because we got a great bunch this year and I think we can get it done.”