Devin White has ‘champagne problems,’ Bucs LB coach says

Greg Auman

NFC South Reporter

Bucs linebacker Devin White, unhappy he doesn’t have a long-term extension, has asked for trade that the team has no intention of making, but even as a former player, his position coach Larry Foote only has so much sympathy.

“He’s not going to be the first and he’s not going to be the last, we know that,” Foote said Wednesday, in the second week of voluntary offseason workouts that White is not attending. “Like I told him: You’re getting paid $11 million this year. Those are champagne problems.”

White, a three-time team captain, will be on a fifth-year option with the Bucs this fall that would make him an unrestricted free agent in 2024, but he’s looking for the security of a long-term deal and wants to be paid at the top of his position, which would be $20 million a year or more, something the Bucs have been unwilling to do right now. General manager Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles have said they expect him to play this year, reminding White that if he plays at a high level, he’ll certainly be paid accordingly.

“I get it on both sides,” said Foote, 42, who played 13 years in the NFL as a linebacker. “He’s played a lot of ball. Do we need to be here in the spring? We would love him to be here, but it’s not going to hurt him from the standpoint of playing. But I want him here, and I’m quite sure that’s going to get worked out. I understand both sides. That’s part of the business that nobody likes, but it is what it is.”

Workouts are voluntary right now, and White wouldn’t face any potential fines until mandatory minicamp in June, and certainly with the start of training camp in late July. Asked when he thought he would see White if his contract situation doesn’t change, Foote said he didn’t know because he hadn’t discussed that with him.

“He’s fighting for a contract,” Foote said. “Champagne problems.”

White was a central part of the Bucs’ defense when they won a Super Bowl in 2020, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2021. He’s had 18 sacks in the last three years, used effectively as a blitzer, but his pass coverage and overall play has been inconsistent enough that Pro Football Focus graded him 74th out of 81 inside linebackers across the NFL last season.

Is it a concern for the Bucs that a leader and multi-year captain has said he doesn’t want to be with the team? Foote said he’s confident that this is only about a contract and wanting a better deal and not questioning his overall desire to play for the Bucs.

“It’s money,” Foote said. “You look now at the guaranteed money, and you know, he wants his money now. He’s got to understand, the organization, they’re preparing for next year, so you know, we’ve got to meet somewhere in the middle, however this is going to play out. They picked up his fifth-year option, you know, (I was) seeing yesterday a lot of players, they don’t get that option. But it’s money. I understand that … it’s part of the game.”

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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