The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be opening the 2025 campaign with a divisional clash against the Atlanta Falcons, and they will be looking to pick up a victory over their top competitor in the NFC South. Ahead of the game, though, there’s some concern about the injury status of star defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Over the past few years, Vea has established himself as one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the league. However, he’s been dealing with a foot injury as of late that has thrown his status for Week 1 up in the air. On Friday, the team received a positive update on Vea that has seemingly opened the door for him to take the field on Sunday.
Vita Vea Returns to Practice for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers selected Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and after a slow start over the first few years of his career, he’s blossomed over the past couple of seasons. Vea has earned a pair of Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2024, while also making a late return in 2020 after missing most of the season to help Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV.
In 2024, Vea enjoyed arguably the best season of his career, racking up 42 tackles, a career-high seven sacks, and one pass deflection. Vea’s ability to get to the quarterback, while also clogging rushing lanes, makes him an immensely valuable player at the front of the Bucs defense, and he figures to play a big role for the team once again in 2025.
Vea’s foot injury has been the subject of some concern, and for good reason, as the star defender missed the team’s first two practices this week. On Friday, Tampa Bay got some good news, as Vea returned to action with the rest of his teammates, which bodes well for his chances of suiting up against the Falcons.
“Good news for Bucs. DT Vita Vea has returned to practice after missing the last two days with a foot injury,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times shared in a post on X.
Buccaneers Hoping Vita Vea Can Play in Week 1 vs. Falcons
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea.
Vea is the anchor of the Buccaneers‘ defensive line, so if he’s unable to go on Sunday, that’s going to force the rest of the team to step up. Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall are set to start alongside him at the defensive end positions, with Greg Gaines operating as Vea’s backup, so if the former first-round pick can’t play, Gaines will be forced into action.
The Falcons are a bit of a question mark entering the new season, as nobody knows what their offense is going to look like with Michael Penix Jr. taking over under center. The Bucs defense will be looking to give him a rude awakening to start the season, and the hope is that Vea will be on the field for this game. Even with his return to practice, Vea’s status will be worth keeping tabs on over the next few days as he looks to get himself good to go for this contest.
Buccaneers Get Good News on $71 Million DT Ahead of Week 1