After Mike Evans elected to sign with the 49ers in free agency, another Buccaneers legend is officially departing the franchise.
Longtime Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement on Tuesday.
A second-round pick in the 2012 draft, David played all 14 seasons and 215 games of his career with the Buccaneers. He was a first-team All-Pro honoree in 2013 and a one-time Pro Bowler. The Bucs noted in David’s announcement that he finished his career with the same number of seasons played and total tackles (1,714) as Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks. Defensive back Ronde Barber is the only one to play more years with the Bucs at 16.
“For the past 14 seasons, Lavonte David has personified what it means to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. He was a selfless leader both on and off the field, playing with passion and a genuine love for the game. He leaves a legacy as a Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest players in franchise history, setting a standard that will continue to impact our organization for years to come,” The Glazer Family, owners of the Buccaneers, said in a statement released by the team. “Today, we celebrate Lavonte’s legendary career as one of the most accomplished players of his era and thank him for the many memorable moments he provided our fans. Beyond the statistics and accolades, he will be remembered throughout Tampa Bay for his humble demeanor and strong commitment to our community. We wish him well on his journey after football and look forward to honoring his Hall of Fame-worthy achievements in the near future.”
“Lavonte’s mark on our franchise could never be overstated,” G.M. Jason Licht said in a statement. “For the entirety of his 14-year career, Lavonte set the standard for professionalism, leadership, and consistency. He embodies everything that it means to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer and he is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever put on this uniform. His contributions to our franchise, to his teammates and to this community will leave an impact far beyond his playing years.”
Added head coach Todd Bowles, “Before I came to the Buccaneers, I always had immense respect for Lavonte as a special football player. Having had the fortune to coach him for the last seven seasons, I have also experienced the special person and leader he is. He has been the heart and soul of our defense and a Super Bowl champion on the way to being an eventual Hall of Famer. There isn’t anyone more respected by his teammates, and that respect extends to his peers and opposing coaches throughout the league. I, as well as everyone in this organization, will miss him tremendously.”
David, who turned 36 in January, was still playing at a strong level in 2025, finishing his final season with 114 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, six QB hits, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, three passes defensed, and one interception.
Longtime Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David may be ready to call it a career.
The Buccaneers announced that David will have a news conference at the team facility today. There was no official reason given for the news conference, but there has been speculation that David is planning to retire.
The 36-year-old David is currently a free agent, but he has played his entire 14-year career with the Buccaneers and has indicated he has no interest in playing anywhere else. Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht has said the team will welcome David back if he wants to play this season.
The Buccaneers have signed two free agent inside linebackers, Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom. Those signings seemed to indicate that they’re expecting David to retire.
Tampa Bay selected David out of Nebraska in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has won a Super Bowl ring and been a first-team All-Pro during his tenure with the Bucs, and now it may be coming to an end.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is back in Detroit, for his third stint with the Lions. The 13-year veteran officially signed his new contract on Monday.
“That fire to just compete and go out there and just excel and help others as well,” Bridgewater said, via the team’s official website. “I’ve always been that type of player who just wants to see others have success and I always felt like as a quarterback we play a huge role in others’ success.”
Bridgewater replaces Kyle Allen as the primary backup to Jared Goff. But Bridgewater has a separate goal than serving as an insurance policy.
“If I can just go out there and help a sixth-round wide receiver have a four- or five-year career or an undrafted free agent get four or five years out of the league from just competing with him throughout the spring, preseason, training camp, if we get reps in the regular season, that’s just something that I look forward to doing,” Bridgewater said.
A first-round pick (32nd overall) in 2014, Bridgewater spent four years with the Vikings, two with the Saints, one with the Panthers, one with the Broncos, one with the Dolphins, and one with the Lions. He left the NFL to become a high-school football coach in 2024. After leading Miami Northwestern to a state championship, he rejoined the Lions for the postseason.
Last year, Bridgewater quit coaching after being suspended for providing benefits to his players. In response, the Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill in February 2026 to allow high school coaches to spend $15,000 per year on student welfare. There have been no further updates on the bill, known generally as the Teddy Bridgewater Act. To become law, it must both pass the House of Representatives and be signed by the governor.
After leaving high-school coaching, Bridgewater played for the Buccaneers last year, serving as the backup to Baker Mayfield.
For his career, Bridgewater has appeared in 83 regular-season games with 65 starts. He suffered a serious knee injury in late August 2016, weeks before what the Vikings had hoped would be a breakout third season with the team.
The Buccaneers are signing free agent linebacker Christian Rozeboom, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
Rozeboom, 29, spent last season with the Panthers.
He led the team in tackles with 122 and added two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a pass defensed, making 15 starts and playing 823 defensive snaps.
Rozeboom went undrafted out of South Dakota State, signing with the Rams. He spent four seasons there, appearing in 60 games with 16 starts.
In his career, Rozeboom has totaled 347 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
The Eagles are signing safeties Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray to one-year deals, Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com reports.
News of the agreements comes after the team traded safety Sydney Brown to the Falcons in a swap of picks. The Eagles also lost safety Reed Blankenship, who signed with Houston as a free agent.
Epps, 30, played for the Eagles last season, seeing action on 250 defensive snaps and 119 on special teams in 12 games. He started four games in place of Drew Mukuba.
Epps also played for the Eagles from 2019-22.
He has played games for the Vikings and Raiders, too, and has totaled 315 tackles, three interceptions, 18 passes defensed and two forced fumbles in his career.
Gray, 30, played four games for the Broncos and one for the Bucs last season after seven seasons in Denver. He is a core special teams player, with 153 defensive snaps and 2,231 on special teams in 98 career games.
He made the Pro Bowl and was first-team All-Pro as a special teams player in 2021 and was second-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2024.
