Buccaneers’ Devin White requests trade: Former first-round LB wants out of Tampa Bay, per report

Earlier this offseason, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White posted some cryptic messages on social media indicating he could be playing elsewhere in 2023. White then took to Twitter to say that he was just reflecting on the first four years of his NFL career, but it appears there may have actually been more to the story.

Tuesday, ESPN reported that White has requested a trade from the Buccaneers. The Bucs reportedly do not want to trade White, as they picked up his fifth-year option last offseason, which will pay him $11.7 million in 2023. 

White was selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of LSU. He burst onto the scene as a rookie with 91 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and one interception in just 13 games played. In his second season, White was a Second Team All-Pro after notching 140 combined tackles and a career-high nine sacks on the way to a Super Bowl run, and then he made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Last season, White recorded 5.5 sacks and 124 combined tackles.

White may be looking for a new deal as he enters the final year of his contract. Spotrac’s market value tool estimates he’s in line for a four-year, $80,418,000 deal that carries an AAV of $20.1 million. That hypothetical contract would surpass Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens, making White the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL.