On the eve of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporting to training camp, 1 of their superstar players wants out.
According to multiple reports, 2-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade after negotiations over a contract extension stalled out.
“Bucs DT Vita Vea has requested a trade, but intends to report for training camp with the rest of the team Tuesday,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He’s seeking a new deal beyond the upcoming season … (Vea) intends to report for training camp with the rest of the team Tuesday. He’s seeking a new deal beyond the upcoming season.”
Vea is due $17 million in 2026 in the final season of the 4-year, $71 million contract extension he signed in January 2022.
“Vea’s owed $17 million in the final year of his existing deal,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on his official X account. “Would imagine something in the ballpark of what Dexter Lawrence is getting from the Bengals ($47 million combined over the next two years) would be the ballpark for Vea.”
According to The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, Vea is looking to return to his home state of California or to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Vea, 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers since he was selected in the 1st round (No. 12 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft, including a heroic postseason performance on the way to winning a Super Bowl following the 2020 season.
“Long-time Bucs DT Vita Vea has requested a trade, sources say,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Tuessday. “Vea had hoped for a long-term contract extension and talks stalled. Now, he wants out.”
ESPN Trade Predictions Might Tell Future for Vita Vea
Barnwell’s annual trade predictions may have undersold Vea after his trade value was labeled “just outside” a 1st-round pick, although there might be a contender out there desperate enough to deal a 1st-rounder.
Barnwell only deemed 1 player on the Tampa Bay roster worth multiple 1st-round picks — NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs — and just 1 more worth a single 1st-round pick in return in 2026 1st-round pick and edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
“The Bucs have a lot of good players but very few stars, which is borne out by the trade tiers here,” Barnwell wrote on July 16. “Vea and Winfield are still high-end talents, but Vea is 31 years old and Winfield plays safety, which doesn’t typically translate into significant trade value. Goedeke is one of the league’s better right tackles when healthy, but he has missed most or all of 21 games over his first four seasons.”
Buccaneers Could Also Give Vita Vea Outright Release
In February, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon predicted the Buccaneers could just release Vea to create salary cap space in one of the NFL’s most “shocking” offseason moves.
“The aging Bucs have a lot of tough decisions to make with expensive veterans this offseason, and Vea saw his productivity drop off in his age-30 season,” Gagnon wrote. “He’s still a critical member of the defense but could be declining after eight years. Vea will cost the Bucs $22.2 million, unless he restructures or the team releases him to generate $15.7 million in salary-cap savings for 2026.”
Vea has established himself as one of the NFL’s premiere interior defensive linemen over the last 8 seasons and put his name in the Buccaneers’ record books in 2025 after his 4.5 sacks in 2025 propelled him into Tampa Bay’s Top 10 in franchise history — he now has 35.0 career sacks.
Buccaneers’ Vita Vea Extension Talks Take Major Turn