$71 Million Pro Bowler Could be ‘Better Than Ever’ for Buccaneers

Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea.

If you’re part of the group of people who believe there’s a vast conspiracy that keeps NFL teams from putting the actual heights and weights of their players on the rosters in hopes of making the players feel better about said height and weight … then you’ve come to the right place.

The Athletic’s Dan Pompei confirmed that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea is down to around 347 pounds — the weight he’s been listed at for years — while finally confirming he’d been at closer to 367 pounds for some time.

The good news is this slimmed-down version of the 6-foot-4 former Pro Bowler could yield some incredible results in 2024.

“Vita Vea could be better than ever in 2024,” Pompei wrote. “At 29, the seven-year veteran is entering the sweet spot of his career with a new look after losing a significant amount of weight in the offseason while working out with former teammate Ndamukong Suh. Vea has been listed at 347 (he claims that’s his current weight) but probably weighed closer to 367.”

Vea is also playing for big money. He signed a 4-year, $71 million contract extension in March 2022 and is due to make $16 million (2024), $17 million (2025) and $18 million (2025) the next three seasons.

Injuries, Weight Seem Tied Together for Vea

Vea was selected at No. 12 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Washington after winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017, but injuries have been a constant issue throughout his career.

Through six NFL seasons, Vea has only played in every regular-season game for the Buccaneers just once, in 2019. He also played in 16 out of 17 games in 2021, the only year he was selected to the Pro Bowl. He played in a career-low five games in 2020 but returned for the playoffs and was a key part of the Buccaneers’ run to the Super Bowl.

“The Bucs have wanted (Vea) to slim down for a while,” Pompei wrote. “In addition to potentially being quicker and more explosive, Vea also could be healthier. Over the last three seasons, he has missed games with toe, groin, pec, calf, foot and knee injuries.”

Vea’s path toward being a healthier version of himself may have been encouraged by his play the last two seasons. He’s had career-highs for sacks the last two seasons, with 6.5 in 2022 and 5.5 in 2023, and had a career-high 43 tackles in 2023 despite missing two games. He also had a career-high 2 forced fumbles in 2023.

Young Players Turn to Vea for Leadership

Where Vea’s influence on the Buccaneers could be most pronounced is with his influence the younger players on the roster — most notably with 2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey.

If Kancey and Vea are both healthy and on the field for Tampa Bay, it could make the Buccaneers’ interior defensive line one of the most formidable in the NFL.

Kancey only played in 10 games as a rookie because of injuries but was dominant at times with 4.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss. He also stepped up big in a NFC Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles with 4 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1.0 TFL and had a pressure that led to a safety.