When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt in the fifth round in 2021, they were the defending Super Bowl champions and their loaded roster included an entrenched pair of off-ball linebackers, Lavonte David and Devin White. David had already established himself as one of the best players in franchise history and White was coming off an impressive star turn in the 2020 playoffs.
Moreover, David and White rarely missed action due to injuries, and when David was sidelined for five games in 2021, veteran Kevin Minter was there to step in. Thus, Britt didn't get much of an opportunity to show what he could do on defense for three years before finally stepping into a big role in the last of his four seasons in Tampa. This is reflected in his annual playtime figures. Britt's percentage of plays on defense progressed from 3% as a rookie to 6%, 15% and finally in 2024, 65%. Meanwhile, he played between 64% and 80% of the special teams in his first three seasons before that number dropped to 29% last year.
Despite his relative lack of playing time on defense, Britt was a favorite of the coaching staff due to his team-first approach and his work ethic. Britt finally got his shot last fall after White departed in free agency, moving into the starting lineup next to David. Britt had shown promise in a late-season cameo in 2023 while replacing an injured White, and even started both playoff games after White's return, so the coaches were eager to see what he could do in a full-time role in 2024. Britt started the first 11 games of the season but then missed time due to an ankle injury and came back to a rotational role for the rest of the season.
Both Britt and David are pending free agents, though the Buccaneers are hoping David will put off retirement for (at least) one more season and return to the only team he has known in the NFL. Was Britt's play in 2024 enough for the Buccaneers to pursue a second contract with him, too? The answer will come in the next few weeks.
Britt is one of 23 players from the Bucs' 2024 roster who are on pace to become unrestricted free agents if they don't get a new deal done before the start of the 2025 league year in March, a list that grew by one when the team declined their second-year option on safety Jordan Whitehead. Some of the players we'll examine prior to the free agency start date of March 12 could get a new deal to stay in Tampa before that deadline. It's likely some of them will not be back, or will at least see what's available in free agency. This is the full schedule of our 2025 Free Agent Focus rundown:
February 12: WR Chris Godwin
February 14: QB Kyle Trask
February 19: OLB Anthony Nelson
February 26: C Robert Hainsey
February 28: WR Sterling Shepard
March 3: OLB Shaquil Barrett
March 4: LB Lavonte David
March 5: G Ben Bredeson
March 6: OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
March 7: LB K.J. Britt
Today we finish our series examining some of the team's potential 2025 free agents with a look at a hard-nosed run-stuffing linebacker who had to wait almost three seasons to get his shot on defense.
Player: K.J. Britt
Position: Linebacker
Age at the Start of the 2024 Season: 26
Experience: Entering fifth NFL season
How Acquired: Selected in the fifth round (176th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Auburn.
Previous Contract(s): As a fifth-round draft pick, Britt signed the standard four-year contract given to all players selected after the first round.
Rank in Pro Football Focus Top 150 NFL Free Agents for 2025: Not ranked.
2024 Performance: As noted above, Britt came into the 2024 campaign as a Day One starter for the first time in his career. He started the first 11 games of the season, though his playing time fluctuated from game to game largely based on the types of offenses the Bucs were facing. For the first month of the season, Britt was sharing the linebacker role next to David with second-year player SirVocea Dennis, who was considered a better option in obvious passing downs. After Dennis landed on injured reserve due to a shoulder ailment, Britt saw his defensive snap percentage rise close to 100% during the middle of the season.
An ankle injury caused Britt to miss three games, and upon his return he was used in a more limited role and did not log anymore starts through the last two games of the regular season and the Bucs' lone playoff contest.
Britt finished the season with a career-high 72 tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also contributed one pass defensed, one quarterback hit and half of a sack. In the playoff game against Washington, he recorded five more tackles.
Career Accomplishments: Britt played 59 games over his first four NFL seasons, starting 15 of them. He racked up 126 tackles, four tackles for loss, two QB hits, three passes defensed and 0.5 sacks. He also appeared in six postseason games made 22 tackles to go with one tackle for loss and one pass defensed.
Before moving into a larger role on defense near the end of 2023 and through much of 2024, Britt was a cornerstone player on special teams for the Buccaneers. He peaked at an 80% snap share in 2022, his second season. Over his first three seasons, Britt amassed 21 tackles in kick coverage.
Other Potential Free Agent Linebackers: Dre Greenlaw (49ers), Zack Baun (Eagles), Nick Bolton (Chiefs), Bobby Wagner (Commanders), Ernest Jones (Seahawks), Jamien Sherwood (Jets), Robert Spillane (Raiders), Tyrel Dodson (Dolphins), Eric Kendricks (Cowboys), Elandon Roberts (Steelers), Devin Bush (Browns), Kyzir White (Cardinals), Derrick Barnes (Lions), Cody Barton (Broncos), Jerome Baker (Titans)
Top Linebacker Prospects in 2025 NFL Draft: Jihaad Campbell (Alabama), Demetrius Knight (South Carolina), Carson Schwesinger (UCLA), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Chris Paul (Mississippi), Jeffrey Bassa (Oregon), Barrett Carter (Clemson), Jack Kiser (Notre Dame), Kobe King (Penn State), Cody Simpon (Ohio State), Cody Lindenberg (Minnesota), Danny Statusman (Oklahoma), Jay Higgins (Iowa)
