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Bucs' first injury report of the 2025 season doesn't contain the best update for Vita Vea and Christian Izien

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Evan Winter | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 5:08 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first injury report of the 2025 season has officially arrived as the team gears up for a divisional matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and there's a big surprise in the form of star defensive tackle Vita Vea's status.

Vea missed Wednesday's practice with a foot injury and that's a new development as Week 1 rolls on. His health is easily the No. 1 topic to monitor at this point and both Thursday's and Friday's status loom large in terms of his availability for Sunday's game.

Defensive back Christian Izien, though Todd Bowles said a while back was iffy for the Falcons matchup, also missed Tuesday's practice, currently leaving rookie third-rounder Jacob Parrish as the primary nickel. Other non-participants included wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. and left tackle Tristan Wirfs, as expected, and EDGE Haason Reddick was unavailable due to a personal matter.

Cornerback Benajmin Morrison and tight end Cade Otton were limited, while corner Josh Hayes and running back Sean Tucker were full participants.

The Bucs’ first injury report of the 2025 season is here!! pic.twitter.com/5nDGmhkv0j
— Evan Winter (@evan_AtoZ) September 3, 2025

It's still early, but a Vea-less Bucs defense isn't ideal heading into a matchup against a Falcons team that has a good interior offensive line

The Falcons lost starting center Drew Dalman to the Chicago Bears in free agency, but Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron are good guards. The jury is still out on center Ryan Neuzil, but the fact remains he's sandwiched between two good players, which always helps on the offensive line.

Greg Gaines is a decent backup, but he's no Vea. A Vea-less Buccaneers defense would certainly lose a good chunk of its bite in both the run defense and pass rush game, especially against a Falcons offense that presents a variety of looks and likes to get defenses moving from side-to-side.

On the flip side, the Falcons are relatively healthy heading into their matchup against the Bucs. DeMarcco Hellams and Jack Nelson are both backups and while there are a couple of key guys out in Troy Andersen and Kaleb McGary, Atlanta is in a good spot health-wise.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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