A contract standoff and trade request from the Pro Bowl nose tackle threaten to dismantle Tampa Bay's defensive interior, forcing Todd Bowles to rely on unproven youth.
In his eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive tackle Vita Vea has not only been the anchor of the defensive line but has been considered one of the NFL’s elite at his position.
Now, for the second time this offseason, the Buccaneers are facing the prospect of replacing another team legend after Vea officially requested a trade because of a salary dispute. Earlier in the offseason wide receiver Mike Evans opted to sign with the San Francisco 49ers after a 12-year Hall-of-Fame-career in Tampa Bay.
Although the Bucs have viable replacements at wide receiver with the emergence of Emeka Egbuka, the return of Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan, and others, head coach Todd Bowles’ defense might be left scrambling for a back-up option should the team honor Vea’s request.
Vea has not been a part of the Buccaneers’ offseason program, including mandatory minicamp, as the two-time Pro Bowler has been a “hold in” as contract discussions stalled.
Entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million deal, Vea will earn $17 million this season. However, the deal is not guaranteed. The 31-year-old is also set to earn a per-game roster bonus which is capped at $1 million.
For his career Vea (6-foot-4, 347 pounds) has 35.0 sacks, 48 tackles for loss and 70 quarterback hits. He has been a disruptive force with his elite size, burst and strength, requiring double teams when he is on the field.
In the immediate future, if Vea continues his hold in into the regular season, Tampa Bay will have to rely on first- and second-year players. Behind Vea on the depth chart is rookie DeMonte Capehart (Clemson), Elijah Simmons and Jayson Jones. Simmons (6-foot-1, 335 pounds) appeared in nine games last season for the Bucs with one TFL, while Jones (6-foot-6, 340 pounds) started last season on the practice squad before a torn bicep landed him on injured reserve, forcing him to miss all of 2025. Capehart (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) played in 57 games during his career at Clemson, registering 13.5 TFLs and three sacks.
If Vea is not traded and does not have a contract extension in place after this season Tampa Bay could look to the free agent class of 2027. While the position is not star-studded, next year’s unrestricted free agent defensive tackles includes Mazi Smith (New York Jets), Gervon Dexter (Chicago Bears), Tommy Togiai (Houston Texans), Jonathan Ford (Green Bay Packers), Byron Young (Philadelphia Eagles) and Kobie Turner (Los Angeles Rams)—who are all under 30.
According to his agent, Vea has only requested a trade if Tampa Bay does not plan to offer him a contract extension on his current deal. Vea is 31 and is scheduled to make $17 million this season.
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