- May 21, 2026
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Lavonte David announced his retirement in March, but a move the Bucs made the next month gave their longtime linebacker cause to wonder if he should have stuck around for a 15th season.
The Bucs used their first-round pick to select edge rusher Rueben Bain and David recounted a conversation that he had with the rookie during an appearance on This is Football with Kevin Clark of ESPN. David said that he thinks Bain is part of an "amazing" roster in Tampa and that he briefly wondered if he made a mistake by retiring before having a chance to share the field with the University of Miami star.
“They are going to be some animals," David said. "I knew Bain already. I reached out to him after he got drafted, he told me, man, like, 'Man, I wish you just waited one more year.' And, I was like in my mind like, 'Maybe I should have, but, you know, the deal is done already. I'm out, my guy.' But, I told him I'm definitely going to be there to be supporting him and stuff like that. I definitely have high hopes for those guys.”
It doesn't sound like David is still giving any thought to playing, but he said he has thought about moving into coaching at some point in the future. If that should happen in Tampa, David will have a chance to help make sure Bain lives up to his potential.
The Bucs used their first-round pick to select edge rusher Rueben Bain and David recounted a conversation that he had with the rookie during an appearance on This is Football with Kevin Clark of ESPN. David said that he thinks Bain is part of an "amazing" roster in Tampa and that he briefly wondered if he made a mistake by retiring before having a chance to share the field with the University of Miami star.
“They are going to be some animals," David said. "I knew Bain already. I reached out to him after he got drafted, he told me, man, like, 'Man, I wish you just waited one more year.' And, I was like in my mind like, 'Maybe I should have, but, you know, the deal is done already. I'm out, my guy.' But, I told him I'm definitely going to be there to be supporting him and stuff like that. I definitely have high hopes for those guys.”
It doesn't sound like David is still giving any thought to playing, but he said he has thought about moving into coaching at some point in the future. If that should happen in Tampa, David will have a chance to help make sure Bain lives up to his potential.