Tampa Bay linebacker projected to get $100M+ contract in 2023
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected LB Devin White out of LSU with the 5th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
White received a 4 yr/$29.3 million contract to begin his NFL career. The Buccaneers recently picked up the fifth-year option on White’s contracting, slating the linebacker to make $11.7 million during the 2023 season.
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In a recent article via ESPN, Brad Spielberger gave his predictions on contract extensions for 2019 NFL Draft top picks and it appears that White is in line for a massive increase in salary come the expiration of his fifth-year option.
“This extension may have to wait until the 2023 offseason as Tampa Bay goes all-in on another Super Bowl quest with Tom Brady,” Spielberger wrote. “But the Buccaneers have shown a willingness to get extensions done early with players like interior defender Vita Vea. With Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith potentially set to become the first off-ball linebacker to eclipse the $20 million per year mark later this offseason, the Buccaneers could once again lock in a franchise cornerstone early.
“…White does over-pursue, miss the occasional tackle and has struggled in coverage for stretches of his career, but the Buccaneers seem optimistic they can clean up the holes in his game — especially while working alongside one of the best coverage linebackers of this decade in Lavonte David.
“White will be just 24 years old for the entirety of his fourth NFL season in 2022 — younger than a handful of players in this year’s draft class — so there’s a lot of room for improvement. That is a scary thought considering the difference-maker he already is through his first three years in the league.”
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Spielberger projects that White will re-sign with the Buccaneers on a 5 yr/$105 million contract with $55 million of that guaranteed. This contract would be a sizable upgrade indeed for a young budding star at the LB position in White and allows the Bucs’ to lock in a key piece of their defense for the foreseeable future.
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