TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers fans may no longer have to worry about losing their longtime defensive captain Lavonte David to another team in free agency.
According to multiple reports on Wednesday, the veteran linebacker is set to re-sign with Tampa Bay on a one-year contract worth $7 million.
"Veteran LB Lavonte David is returning to the #Bucs on a one-year, $7 million guaranteed deal," NFL Network Insider's Tom Pelissero said in a tweet. "Back for a 12th season in Tampa at age 33."
The contract will also have incentives that can push the total value to $8 million, ESPN's Jenna Laine reports.
Pelissero said in a separate tweet that the Buccaneers have worked to finalize the deals since Tuesday, and David is one of the most important players Tampa Bay brought back into the fold with a lot of other veterans expected to leave.
David is the longest-tenured player in the organization and has previously said that he wants to stay with the Buccaneers for the rest of his career, ESPN reports.
"It would be incredible," he said. "As a kid, I never really thought of something like that. Now that it's possibly a reality. It's just kind of mind-blowing to be next to a guy like Derrick Brooks, who you kind of like watched and kind of idolized, and then Ronde [Barber], who you actually played with."
Multiple coaches and players have described the 33-year-old as the heart and soul of the football team. He has been with the Buccaneers for 11 seasons and captained the team for nine years.
Last season, David led the team with 124 combined tackles. He, along with Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, are the only two players in league history to register more than 1,000 tackles, 20 sacks and 10 interceptions through their first eight seasons.
David currently ranks third in Buccaneers history for tackles, fifth in games played and fourth in starts.
Also on Wednesday, Tampa Bay reportedly signed their potential new starting quarterback after multiple reports say the team agreed on a deal with Baker Mayfield.
CBS Sports says it's expected that Mayfield will have a chance to compete for the starting quarterback position vacated by Tom Brady last month. The Buccaneers do have Kyle Trask, who was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
In other moves, Tampa Bay officially announced Wednesday they have agreed to terms for a new contract with cornerback Jamel Dean. The franchise also said guard Shaq Mason has been traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Guard Aaron Stinnie has re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal, the team said.
The Buccaneers cleared salary cap room last week by releasing left tackle Donovan Smith, running back Leonard Fournette and tight end Cameron Brate.
10 Tampa Bay's Claire Farrow contributed to this report.