Buccaneers OLB Lavonte David not open to joining new team in free agency: 'I do want to retire a Buc'

Having just wrapped up his age-33 season, Lavonte David knows the end of his career is in the not-so-distant future.

But according to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker, whether his retirement will wait at least another year is largely dependent on if his current team is willing to keep him.

David was asked this week during an interview with Ronnie and TKras on 95.3 WDAE whether he'd consider joining a new team this offseason, or if the only options he'd consider at this point are re-signing with the Bucs or hanging up the cleats.

To that, David replied in the affirmative that his intentions are to remain a lifelong Buccaneer.

"Yeah, you could say that," David said. "It's at a point right now in my career -- twelve years playing with one organization -- a place that I've grown to be a man. Where I started as a young man and I grew up to a man in the city of Tampa. Just the love that the city of Tampa has for me and the love that I have for the city of Tampa. All the stuff that I poured into the city I love doing.

"So, of course, I would want to do that, I would want to stay a Buc for the rest of my career as long as I play. At the end of the day, yeah, I do want to retire a Buc, but it's just got to be a mutual thing."

Despite his age, David has continued to produce at a high rate in recent years, putting together one of his strongest seasons in 2023 as he helped the Buccaneers to an NFC South crown and playoff win.

David finished the year having played 17 of a possible 19 games, including two in the postseason. He had 134 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, all his best totals since at least 2016, also tacking on five passes defensed and a forced fumble.

"It definitely was a fun year for me, playing at that