TAMPA, Fla. — The old expression goes “home is where the heart is.” Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea said his heart is in Tampa, and that’s where his home will remain after he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a contract extension on Wednesday evening.
Vea had been a “hold-in” during training camp, not practicing while he desired a new contract. Now that the deal is done, the “hold-in” is over and he came to practice Thursday morning all smiles, getting high fives and daps from teammates and coaches.
He also spent some time talking with Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who said a couple weeks ago that he had no plans of trading Vea after reports surfaced that Vea requested a trade. The Bucs veteran said he was always confident that this was going to work out.
“Yeah the type of person I am, I’m always a big optimistic type of guy. I always err on the side of optimism. I had a good feeling that we’d get something done,” Vea said.
Vea said there were some highs and lows throughout the process but he said it was just business. He also said sometimes it’s nice to feel wanted and that’s how he feels financially with a $30 million extension, which is fully guaranteed through the 2027 season.
“I got drafted here. I made Tampa my home. I love it here. The guys on the team are like brothers to me. We look at each other as family. So, I didn’t want to leave that behind and switch teams and get traded. That was never the end goal for me. I always wanted to be here,” Vea said.
Buccaneers players and coaches gave Vea some high-fives and congratulations when he made his way onto the practice field on Thursday morning, now all-in on playing this season. They understand the impact Vea makes on the field.
“When you’ve got a star player, you’re happy to have him back on the field. So, you know, it’s relieving to know that he’ll be out there,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said. “We know what he brings to our defense – he’s the centerpiece of it. Obviously, he’s a big part in the run game and the pass rush as well. So, to get him back in the fold and start getting him working in with the other guys is good.”
“I was stoked. I mean, it’s well deserved,” cornerback Benjamin Morrison said. “I mean, he’s a staple of this team. This dude has put his blood, sweat and tears into this organization. I’m just happy that it got done and we [have] a great player back.”
Bowles said there are no plans to play Vea in the preseason and he will begin team activities next week as they start to get him ready for Week 1 of the regular season up in Cincinnati on Sept. 13.