The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made 2 major deals with veterans shortly before the regular season began, bringing back Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield on a 3-year, $165 million contract and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea on a 1-year, $30 million contract extension.
After an 0-3 start, they can’t trade the injured Mayfield — even if they should — and especially now that he’s out for at least 3 weeks with an injured thumb.
Vea, however, spent the offseason pining for a trade. It might still happen if the Buccaneers continue to go in the tank, with Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox proposing a pair of trades that would send Vea to either the Buffalo Bills or the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers, of course, have a big hole in the middle of their interior defensive line, where injuries have decimated their lineup like everywhere else on the roster.
Bucs Could Get Critical Draft Capital in Return
For the Bucs, it’s a deal that would almost certainly bring back a 2nd-round pick, and for Vea, it would mean a chance to win another Super Bowl by landing with a contender.
Vea, even at 31, is still considered 1 of the NFL’s elite interior defensive linemen.
“While the 2018 No. 12 overall pick is under contract through 2027, there’s no guarantee he’ll play out his contract in Tampa,” Knox wrote on October 2. “The Bucs could save $11 million in cap space by trading him in the spring or $24 million by trading him after June 1. That could be a real possibility if the team continues to flounder and looks to rebuild in the offseason. With the Buccaneers’ season trending in the wrong direction, Vea could welcome an opportunity to join a playoff contender. He will turn 32 in February, but he remains a top-tier interior defender who could help a team pursuing a Super Bowl.”
Vea was headed into the final season of his 4-year, $71 million contract in 2026. He’ll have approximately $124.4 million in career earnings when his current contract runs out.
“ESPN sources: Two-time Pro-Bowl DT Vita Vea and the Buccaneers reached agreement today on a one-year extension for $30 million, tying him to Tampa Bay for two more seasons,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on August 19. “He gets $6 million in new money this season.”
49ers Dealing With Injuries on Every Level
The 49ers were dealt a brutal injury blow when 6-foot-6, 332-pound defensive tackle Alfred Collins suffered a torn patellar tendon in 1 of the practices leading up to the Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Before the start of training camp, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows singled out Collins as a player who c
“His spring was wiped out due to after-season shoulder surgery, but Collins should be back for the beginning of training camp,” Barrows wrote. “The 49ers were encouraged by the big man’s rookie campaign, which while not spectacular, did include nearly 500 snaps, four quarterback hits and perhaps San Francisco’s top play of 2025 — Collins’ forced fumble against the Los Angeles Rams on the 1-yard line late in a Week 5 overtime win. This year he’ll be paired with veteran Osa Odighizuwa, creating a pick-your-poison situation for opposing offensive lines. The 49ers need both Collins and fellow 2025 draft pick Mykel Williams to take big steps forward in their second seasons.”
49ers Urged to Trade for $124 Million Super Bowl Champion