Buccaneers Receiving Trade Calls for Vita Vea

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea remains at odds with the team over his contract.

Vea is not practicing and wants a trade, while the Buccaneers have maintained they are not trading their veteran defensive tackle.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears are among the teams that have contacted Tampa Bay about Vea.

“Vea was here with the team at the joint practice, he was not wearing his jersey… my understanding is there has been communication between the sides. A deal is not imminent,” Garafolo reported. “Teams have called the Buccaneers to see if they’re interested in trading him. Amongst them I’m told are the Bills, the Bears, the 49ers, and three are few others but the Buccaneers continue to say internally, they are not trading Vita Vea.”

Vea requested a trade before training camp after spending the offseason seeking a new contract. He is entering the final year of his current deal.

Vita Vea’s Contract Situation

Vea is set to make $17 million in base salary during the 2026 season. His current contract averages $17.75 million annually.

That figure now ranks 16th among defensive tackles. The market has changed significantly since Vea signed his current contract.

Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter, Dallas’ Quinnen Williams and Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons recently signed contract extensions. Carter now sits atop the defensive tackle market at $38 million annually.

Williams is next at $35.3 million per season, while Simmons is close behind at $35.276 million.

That leaves Vea’s $17.75 million average well below the league’s current top defensive tackles.

The Buccaneers have made it clear they aren’t looking to trade Vea. However, his contract situation remains unresolved as the veteran continues to seek a new deal.

With multiple teams reportedly reaching out about Vea, his situation is becoming increasingly important for Tampa Bay.

Reality Check 

The longer this goes on the more expensive it will be. At this point I’d prefer to just get what you can for him and be done with it.

I know some of you will freak out about that, and that’s fine. But Vea IS under contract and SHOULD honor that. All of this posturing of making sure to put his autograph on fan’s signs saying to pay him is a bad look for him.and the team.

The team dies carry some fault here, but not in caving to his demands, but by letting him “hold in“. This allows him to avoid fines but not participate all while lurking around the team and reminding everyone about HIS contract, unlike how Baker Mayfield is handling his contract negotiations.