Lavonte David's career will continue in Tampa Bay.
The longtime Buccaneers linebacker agreed to re-sign with the club on a one-year contract worth $7 million fully guaranteed, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of the deal.
The pact keeps David in Tampa for his 12th season. Despite turning 33 years old in January, David remains a proficient linebacker. In 2022 he generated 124 tackles and three sacks in 17 games for the NFC South champs.
A three-down backer, David is a sure tackler and excellent in coverage. His 88.5 PFF coverage grade in 2022 was tops among linebackers and second among all defenders. David is one of three players with 500-plus tackles and 50-plus tackles for loss since 2018 (Ravens' Roquan Smith and Saints' Demario Davis), per NFL Research.
Given the Buccaneers' restricted salary cap, it was possible David could have left Tampa in free agency. Instead, Todd Bowles retains his leader on defense. It's the second big-name free agent the Bucs retained this offseason. Tampa agreed to re-sign cornerback Jamel Dean earlier this week.
