The Sports Xchange

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially signed linebacker Lavonte David to a five-year contract extension Monday.

The deal, which the Bucs said makes David the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL, goes through the 2020 season.

Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but the extension is worth $50.25 million and includes $25.56 million in guaranteed money, according to reports Sunday night.

David’s deal comes less than a year after the Buccaneers signed three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to a seven-year, $98 million contract.

“We are very excited to announce that Lavonte will be a Buccaneer for the long term,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “Lavonte, along with Gerald McCoy, form the foundation for the championship-level defense that we are building, and it was crucial to have them both in the fold to lead our defense.

“I can’t say enough about Lavonte’s professionalism and his commitment to our team throughout this entire process. This extension is a prime example of our desire to reward the types of players who will play a key role in helping us achieve long-term success.”

David, 25, was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round (58th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. In three seasons with the Buccaneers, he has started all 46 games he has played, tallying 429 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 18 passes defensed, 10 sacks, six interceptions, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

David received first-team All-Pro recognition for his 2013 season, when he became the first linebacker since sacks became an official statistic to record at least seven sacks and five interceptions in the same season.

Last season, despite missing two games for the first time in his NFL career, David set a career-high with 146 total tackles, which ranked third in the NFL. He had 101 solo tackles, the second-most in the league.

Since entering the league in 2012, David’s 319 solo tackles are the most in the NFL, while his 429 total tackles rank second. He is the only player in the NFL with 10 or more sacks and six or more interceptions since the start of the 2012 season. His three consecutive seasons with at least 100 solo tackles is the longest active streak in the NFL and he is one of only four active linebackers to record at least three seasons with 100 or more solo tackles.