Teams Calling Buccaneers About Vita Vea

To date, Tampa Bay has not given thought to honoring Vea’s request and moving forward with a trade. That has not stopped interest from being generated around the league, however. During an appearance on Good Morning Football (video link), ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported a strong market has emerged with respect to teams eyeing an acquisition in this case.

“Several calls” have been made to the Bucs on the topic of Vea’s availability, per Fowler. He adds, though, that Tampa Bay’s preference remains to keep the 31-year-old in place. Vea has one year remaining on his contract, and he is owed $18MM in 2026 with a scheduled cap hit of $22.19MM. A new deal could lower the latter figure while bringing the ninth-year veteran closer to the top of the defensive tackle market, one which has reached new heights on two occasions this offseason.

Fowler nevertheless confirms that while the Bucs made multiple efforts to work out an extension agreement with quarterback Baker Mayfield, there was much less of a push to finalize a new Vea pact. Mayfield rejected the two-year proposals made by Tampa Bay ahead of his self-imposed negotiating deadline, expressing frustration and disappointment afterwards since they fell short of averaging $50MM per year. In Vea’s case, any potential raise will need to wait until 2027 if he remains in place.

Bucs GM Jason Licht has a strong track record in terms of retaining core players, although he has often waited until a free agent departure becomes a distinct possibility before re-upping with key contributors. That pattern may wind up being followed once more if Vea – and, for that matter, Mayfield – are to continue playing with the Buccaneers beyond 2026. In the meantime, Vea’s situation in particular will be worth watching closely.

A sustained lack of training camp participation could generate further tension between team and player in his case. An increased willingness to entertain offers on the part of the Bucs could also emerge depending on the nature and volume of trade calls as the summer progresses.