The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealing with their fair share of drama to start training camp this year, as both Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea have been angling for new contracts from the team. While Mayfield’s situation doesn’t look likely to be resolved before the start of the season, Vea recently put pen to paper on a one-year, $30 million contract extension with the Bucs.
After previously requesting a trade, Vea and Tampa Bay got to work on a new contract, and the result will ensure he sticks around for at least two more seasons. Now that the ink on his new deal has dried, though, Vea has to begin getting ready for the 2026 campaign, which led head coach Todd Bowles to provide an update on the star defensive tackle’s status.
Todd Bowles Issues Vita Vea Update After Contract Extension
The Bucs selected Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and since then, he has become one of the most consistent interior defensive linemen in the pros. Vea has a pair of Pro Bowl selections to his name, and he helped Tampa Bay defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV (even though he missed most of the year due to a leg injury).
In 2025, Vea turned in another strong season, as he suited up for 17 games and racked up 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. Entering the final year of his deal, though, Vea wanted an extension that would reestablish him as one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league, which was accomplished with his aforementioned contract.
Throughout the negotiation process, though, Vea wasn’t practicing for the Buccaneers, meaning he’s going to have to quickly find a way to get himself up to speed ahead of Week 1. While that shouldn’t be a major issue for him given his wealth of experience, Bowles revealed that Vea will begin his ramp-up process next week.
“Todd Bowles said Buccaneers DT Vita Vea will start ramping up next week,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Buccaneers Need a Big Season From Vita Vea
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Taking care of Vea’s contract is a big win for the Buccaneers, as he is a key player on their defense. While he doesn’t always put up gaudy numbers, Vea routinely commands double teams at the middle of the defensive line. This helps the d-line clog rushing lanes, while also opening up better pass-rushing opportunities for his teammates when the quarterback drops back with the ball in his hands.
Vea is getting older, yes, but he hasn’t shown any signs of real decline yet, and a one-year extension gives Tampa Bay ways to move off of him if things take a turn for the worse. In order to ensure that doesn’t happen, though, Vea needs to get himself ready for the upcoming season, and while he won’t ramp up immediately, it sounds like that process will begin very soon.
Buccaneers’ HC Todd Bowles Provides Vita Vea Update After $30 Million Move