Bucs' Lavonte David could end decorated career on historic note - ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — It was Week 7, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were taking on the Detroit Lions during «Monday Night Football» when it happened. Wide receiver Mike Evans, the franchise's leading scorer, was motionless on the turf at Ford Field after a vicious collision with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.

Everyone knew it, and soon so did Evans when he regained consciousness and felt the searing impact of a fractured collarbone, his eyes welling with tears. His pursuit of a record 12th straight 1,000-yard receiving season would likely be over, ending his chances of breaking a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

It was also quite possibly the end of a once-promising 2025 season for the Bucs, who, at that point with a 5-2 record, were vying for first place in the NFC. Now, heading into Week 18, the Bucs (7-9) have lost seven of their past eight, and their playoff fate will be partially written Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) when they host the Carolina Panthers (8-8) at Raymond James Stadium. Not only will the Bucs need to beat the Panthers, but they also will need the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday to win the division.

On that chilly October night in Detroit, linebacker Lavonte David was there to pick Evans up. The 12-year captain and 14-year vet quietly prayed over Evans, willed his «brother» to his feet and helped him to the sideline.

«To me, personally, he's meant everything because he's been not just a captain, and a quarterback, and a coach on the field, and a playmaker — he's been the steady rock that's been here since I've been here going on seven years now,» Bucs coach Todd Bowles said of David, adding that he «always shows up,» not just in the form of a big play but in who he is as a