Future may be now at linebacker with Britt
TAMPA — There hasn’t been a silent night for K.J. Britt. Not since he dropped what should have been an easy interception last Sunday at Atlanta.
The Bucs led 12-10 with nine minutes to go in the third quarter when Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder tried to connect with tight end Kyle Pitts and threw the ball right to the secondyear Bucs linebacker, hitting Britt between the 5 and the 2 on the front of his jersey.
“I haven’t slept since,” he said. “I’ll try to get one this week.”
Britt is the reason the Bucs are resting easy, even with starting inside linebacker Devin White missing the past two games with a foot injury. Against the Falcons, Britt had eight tackles and one pass defensed in the Bucs’ 29-25 victory.
It was only the second start for the former fifth-round pick from Auburn. Britt lasted only about a half dozen plays a week earlier against the Carolina Panthers before leaving with a back injury.
Britt’s only other extended playing time at linebacker came in mop-up duty in the 2022 season finale at Atlanta and was nothing to write home about.
Britt returned to MercedesBenz Stadium with a much better outcome. It didn’t take long for him to be a big difference-maker.
The Falcons trailed 3-0 and faced second and goal at Tampa Bay’s 5-yard line on their first possession. Britt lined up in man coverage across from Bijan Robinson. When the running back went in motion to the left, Britt navigated through traffic and made a touchdown-saving tackle at the 2. On the next play, Ridder fired wild to Robinson in the right flat and the Falcons had to settle for a field goal.
“A lot of it is just want-to,” Britt said. “I want to make the plays and was just trying to be fast and physical and just trying to make sure I’m around the ball, and good things will happen.”
It was a big bounce-back game for Britt. After waiting more than a
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“I just dove into my rehab,” Britt said. “Whatever I needed to do. I feel good. I was just trying to make sure I was able to play, because these opportunities, they’re hard to come by. I didn’t want to miss mine. I wanted to make sure I was healthy.”
Britt doesn’t necessarily fit the prototype of a typical Bucs linebacker. He’s 6 feet, 243 pounds. That’s a little bigger than what the team prefers at that position. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, which is likely why he lasted until the fifth round.
The fact that the Bucs trusted Britt with the helmet communicator and to call the defensive plays is quite an endorsement.
“K.J. has been itching to play for a long time,” coach Todd Bowles sad. “He’s very smart. The guys believe in him. He’s all ball. If you talk to the guy, he’s all ball. He got an opportunity to play, and he made the most of it.”
So what happens when White returns? He did not practice Wednesday but is expected to test his sore foot.
The fact is, the Bucs haven’t missed him. Maybe it’s because White hasn’t been healthy. Or maybe it’s his lack of attention to detail within the defense.
Regardless, at this point it seems unlikely the Bucs will offer him a chance to return next season under a new contract. Fellow inside linebacker Lavonte David will be a free agent again. Britt, rookie SirVocea Dennis and even J.J. Russell could be the Bucs’ future at the position, though a lot could change between now and next year’s draft.
“I’m really proud of him as a rookie to come in and be as poised and confident as he is,” Britt said of Dennis.