Bucs Pro Bowl LB admits he was being selfish with trade request

A little under four months after expressing his desire to no longer play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, linebacker Devin White has since had a change of heart and walked back his trade request.

The Pro Bowl linebacker, who was unhappy with the $11.706 million he’s scheduled to make this season on his fifth-year option, demanded a multi-year contract from the team during the offseason. When he didn’t get it, he said he wanted out of Tampa, but he’s admitted he’s since seen the self-serving nature of his behavior.

“I just want to be the long-term guy,” White told reporters Monday morning. “You know, I just want to be a guy like Lavonte (David), who's been here forever. I wanted to be that next guy. And we just didn't make it happen when I wanted it to. And that's where I kind of get a little bit selfish. Even knowing I still had the fifth-year option and that was the thing in play."

White, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft, has been one of the top inside linebackers in the NFL over the last three seasons, logging 392 tackles, 55 quarterback hits, 35 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 15 passes defended, nine fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles over that span.