Leo Chenal And The Bucs
March 8th, 2026
It’s become rather obvious to anyone paying attention that Lavonte David is strongly considering returning to the Bucs for a 15th season in 2026.
The legendary Bucs linebacker is likely feeling like a new man following postseason knee surgery. Also, David’s last public interview included him saying, “I still got a lot of football left in me.“
And then there’s the reality of no retirement announcement from David while free agency kicks off tomorrow at noon.
Of course, David may wince in pain when he sees how much the Bucs offer him. David, 36, earned $9 million last year and could be looking at half of that following a rough season.
But suppose David does return at a reduced salary and reduced snaps? That should lead the Bucs to look for a versatile inside linebacker in free agency that is OK with a potential rotational role. Leo Chenal, who is expected to break free from the Chiefs, could be that guy.
Chenal, 25, was a late-third-round pick of the Chiefs in 2022. He’s known for being an athletic and physical tackler, and a guy comfortable running and hitting and blitzing effectively. Chenal has been durable through his career but has never played more than 450 snaps in a season. That’s part-time work. For perspective, David logged 1,023 snaps last season.
If David is back, Joe would applaud adding a mid-priced guy like Chenal and drafting an inside linebacker, with SirVocea Dennis taking his rightful place on special teams and in a spot duty as the No. 4 inside linebacker.