​Lavonte David’s legendary career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be over, but the franchise icon recently admitted there was one thing that almost made him wish he had played one more season. Speaking about the Buccaneers’ selection of first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., David joked that maybe he should have delayed retirement so he could share the field with one of Tampa Bay’s newest defensive stars.David said he reached out to Bain after the draft, and the rookie told him he wished the veteran linebacker had stuck around for another year. David admitted the thought crossed his mind as well before reminding Bain that his decision to retire had already been made. He added that he’ll be cheering the rookie on from afar.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s a comment that speaks volumes about how highly David already thinks of Bain.The Buccaneers selected the former Miami standout in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with hopes of giving Todd Bowles the true blue-chip edge rusher the defense has been searching for. Tampa Bay has spent the last several seasons trying to find a consistent running mate opposite Yaya Diaby, cycling through multiple options without finding a long-term answer.Had David returned for one final season, the pairing would have been intriguing. One of the greatest linebackers in franchise history, mentoring one of the defense’s newest building blocks, could have accelerated Bain’s transition to the NFL while giving the Buccaneers another experienced leader on the field. Instead, David will be supporting the team from the sidelines after an illustrious 14-year career that included a Super Bowl championship and countless individual accolades, shattering multiple franchise and league-wide records.While Buccaneers fans can only imagine what the duo could have accomplished together, David’s remarks show just how excited he is about the future of Tampa Bay’s defense. If one of the greatest players in franchise history believes Bain is worth sticking around for, expectations for the rookie will only continue to grow.This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs legend jokes he is going to miss out on playing with top pick