The Bucs announced Tuesday morning that inside linebacker Lavonte David will be holding a press conference at 2:00 p.m. ET today at the AdventHealth Training Center. The press release did not state the reason why David would be speaking today.

There has been no word of a new contract for David, who is currently a free agent, nor has there been any official announcement of a retirement after 14 illustrious seasons in Tampa Bay. David, who turned 36 in January, has been contemplating retirement for the last couple of seasons, but re-signed with the team last year at age 35 on a one-year deal worth $9 million.

Pewter Report has gotten an indication that David might indeed announce his retirement from the NFL today.

He played through a knee injury last season that saw David have to have fluid drained from it on a weekly basis just in order for him to play on Sundays. As a result of his age and injury, David’s play took a noticeable dip in 2025.

According to Pro Football Focus, David had an overall defensive grade of 52.6 and a coverage grade of 45.1, which were the lowest grades of his career. In 2022, David earned an 85.1 defensive grade per PFF, and an 87.9 coverage grade. Once one of the league’s best coverage linebackers, David’s grades have slipped over the last three seasons. In 2023, PFF gave him a 72.3 defensive grade and a coverage grade of 68.6. In 2024, those grades slipped to 67.9 overall and 56.9 in coverage.

If this is it for David’s career, he won’t be remembered for Father Time catching up to him. Instead, he will be remembered as one of the best Bucs defensive players in franchise history, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks for the franchise’s all-time tackle record in the final game of the 2025 season, as well as helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV in 2020.

Lavonte David Is A Sure-Fire Bucs Ring Of Honor Inductee, Maybe A Hall Of Famer

For 14 seasons, Lavonte David has been a fan favorite in Tampa Bay. The model of consistency, even early in his career when the Bucs were a losing team year after year, David always led with a quiet, workmanlike approach that set the right example for his teammates around him.

After he was drafted in the second round of the 2012 Draft out of Nebraska, it wasn’t long before he became an obvious yearly choice when captains were announced.

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

And beyond the reliability and leadership he brought day in and day out within the Bucs’ locker room, he was one hell of a player out on the field. His one All-Pro selection (2013) and his one Pro Bowl appearance (2015) don’t even begin to tell the story of David’s career.

There’s no way around it: Lavonte David was underappreciated throughout the football world for 14 years. And the hope is that once his playing career is over, the lack of All-Pros and lack of Pro Bowls will be rightfully overshadowed by the numbers he produced, the records he shattered, the milestones he reached and the reputation he earned among his teammates and opponents.

David finishes his 14-year career with 1,716 tackles (1,172 solo), 42.5 sacks, 177 tackles for loss, 33 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries, 14 interceptions and 73 passes defensed. In addition to joining Brooks at the top of the Bucs’ tackle leaderboard, No. 54 also finished sixth in sacks (most among linebackers) and tied for fourth in passes defensed (second-most among linebackers). And he retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.

Only twice in his 14 seasons did David fall short of the 100-tackle mark, finishing with 87 in 2016 and falling just three shy at 97 in 2021 despite missing five games that year. These numbers make David a sure-fire Bucs Ring of Honor selection, and should earn him serious consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bucs Have Added Two Veteran Linebackers In Free Agency

While Tampa Bay has waited for Lavonte David to make up his mind as to whether or not he wants to play a 15th season in red and pewter, the Bucs have been moving on. The team has signed two veteran inside linebackers to shore up the position, as prior to free agency, the Buccaneers only had two linebackers under contract – SirVocea Dennis, last year’s starting middle linebacker who is entering a contract season, and Nick Jackson, a practice squad player last year as a rookie.

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Junfu Han

On the first day of free agency, Tampa Bay signed 31-year old veteran Alex Anzalone to a two-year deal worth $17 million. Like David, Anzalone has primarily played weakside linebacker in the NFL in stops in New Orleans and Detroit, and that is the role he’s expected to play for the Bucs due to his above average coverage skills.

Then, the Bucs added former Panthers middle linebacker Christian Rozeboom, 29, on Monday. This addition won’t stop the Buccaneers from selecting another inside linebacker – or two – in this year’s NFL Draft. Right now, Rozeboom, who is a two-year starter, will compete with Dennis for the right to start at middle linebacker in Tampa Bay this year, but the Bucs are expected to draft a more talented middle linebacker in a draft class that is rich with talent at the position.

Tampa Bay needs to get younger and more athletic at the linebacker position this offseason, and as difficult as it is to move on from a legend like the 36-year old David, it’s the right thing to do for Todd Bowles defense this season and in the future.