The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht are taking a hard and firm stance on Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea’s trade request.
That stance, right now at least, is that the trade just isn’t happening. No matter how much Vea whines or pouts or continues to sulk on the sideline during his ridiculous “hold in” through this point of training camp.
Licht told Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud on Thursday morning that he has “no plans” to trade Vea, who has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant interior defensive linemen since he was selected in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Vea opened training camp by requesting a trade, with reports surfacing that he wanted to play for either of the California NFL franchises or for the Las Vegas Raiders. Vea is a California native and played college football for the University of Washington.
The Buccaneers signed Vea to a 4-year, $71 million contract extension in 2022 that runs out following the 2026 season, when he’s due approximately $17 million in salary.
“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 July 27. “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.”
Defensive Tackle Market Outpaced Vea’s Contract
Vea is making way less than the other, commensurate players at his position around the NFL.
“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.”
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 July 27. “Vea had hoped for a long-term contract extension and talks stalled. Now, he wants out.”
ESPN Trade Guesses 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.”
Bucs GM Sends 2-Word Message on Possible Vita Vea Trade