No progress has been made between the Buccaneers and disgruntled defensive tackle Vita Vea amid his trade request, according to Vea’s agent, Collin Roberts.
“I just don’t see it ending in anything but a trade,” Roberts said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). Such pronouncements, though, are typical for an agent attempting to drum up interest in their client and maximize leverage in contract talks. Those negotiations were complicated by recent extensions for Jalen Carter and Jeffery Simmons, who reset the defensive tackle market with deals worth more than $35MM per year.
Simmons’ contract, his third with the Titans, is particularly impactful. Vea’s first extension with the Buccaneers, signed in 2022, was worth $17.75MM per year. Simmons signed for $23.5MM per year in 2023 with a raise to $35.3MM this summer that nearly doubled Vea’s annual average. Simmons is two years younger and coming off his first career first-team All-Pro nod, something Vea has never accomplished, but over the last three seasons, the two have comparable stats.
Vea may not have a claim to match Simmons’ AAV, but he certainly has a strong argument for a significant raise. In recent years, the eight-year veteran has also outperformed Dexter Lawrence, who received $28MM per year from the Bengals this offseason, though he had significant leverage following his trade from the Giants.
But Tampa Bay may be hesitant to reward Vea’s age and lowered production last year with a multiyear extension that repositions him at the top of the market. The two-time Pro Bowler reported for training camp last week, but has yet to practice due to a back injury suffered during a team run, per Stroud. It is unclear if he will return to the field when healthy or stage a ‘hold-in’ by declining to practice until his contract situation is resolved.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Wednesday he is not concerned about Vea “at this point,” noting that his star defensive tackle has been “very engaged” at team meetings.
“I think those things take care of themselves,” Bowles added. “Once we get past two or three preseason games, you start to worry a little bit.”
Tampa Bay’s final preseason game is scheduled for August 28, two days before 53-man roster cuts. Should the current stalemate remain unresolved until then, both sides will have to evaluate their options. A trade is already difficult to work out this time of year, especially with Vea demanding a hefty extension that would impact his new team’s 2026 salary cap picture. That will not get easier as the regular season approaches.
Teams have inquired, but the Buccaneers have remained uninterested in moving one of their best defenders. Nor does the team seem inclined to give in to Vea’s demands for a multi-year extension, but they could consider a raise for this season similar to the Bengals’ approach with Trey Hendrickson last year. At that point, Vea may have to accept a short-term pay bump and play out his contract with the goal of cashing in during free agency next year.