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There might be more to this Bucs loss than expected.
According to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David cryptically hinted that the media and fans were unaware of some strife within the franchise.
“Things happen. People get hurt. We had some mishaps here and there, guys bump heads. We had a lot of turmoil going on in our organization. Guys getting injured, guys who were a huge part of our success … It was definitely a tough season.” David said following Tampa Bay’s 30-27 playoff elimination at the hands of the Rams.
The turmoil that David was referring to remains unclear. The Bucs were battling injuries with key members of their offense — Tristan Wirfs and Ronald Jones were ruled out before the game, and Chris Godwin tore his ACL earlier in the year — but these were not surprises. The Antonio Brown hoopla had come and gone with Tampa Bay coming out on top of the NFC South without the disgraced receiver.
Head coach Bruce Arians came under fire for hitting Andrew Adams in the head. While the NFL fined Arians $50,000 for getting physical with the safety, it remains unknown whether the players were upset over what had occurred or whether that changed the team mentality coming into the divisional round.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, reporters do not have locker room access and only have access to a handful of players for structured press conferences that make it harder for journalists to get raw, candid answers. With these press conferences online and often recorded, there aren’t many opportunities for reporters to get the off-the-record information they desire. Therefore, the details behind this turmoil may remain a mystery.
There are still looming questions about Tampa Bay in the offseason, with the return of Tom Brady up in the air and integral pieces up for free agency. Hopefully, the “turmoil” will reveal itself in due time.
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