Lavonte David Will Be Remembered More Fondly Than Mike Evans

“Time heals all wounds” is an age-old saying, and it definitely applies to two longtime Buccaneers who left the team in very different ways at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Lavonte David retired as a Buccaneer. Mike Evans, on the other hand, chose to leave the franchise that drafted him.

Make no mistake about it: Evans could have joined an elite group of players who spent their entire careers in Tampa Bay.

That group includes Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Lee Roy Selmon, along with Buccaneer greats like Mike Alstott and Paul Gruber.

With his retirement, David joins that exclusive company. For me, he’ll ultimately be remembered even more fondly than Mike Evans.

Evans already has a Super Bowl ring. Remember what the Buccaneers did to help him get one? Remember how they made sure he reached 1,000 receiving yards against New Orleans on the final play of the 2024 season?

He likely would have earned more money had he stayed, and his legacy in Tampa would have remained untarnished.

Obviously, he made the decision he felt was best for him, and that’s his right. But when I look back at the all-time greats who wore the Creamsicle, red, and pewter.

I’ll always have a special appreciation for the players who spent their entire careers as Buccaneers.

Time heals all wounds, but seeing Mike Evans wearing 49ers colors is one that will take years to heal—if it ever does.

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