Licht says he has no plans to trade Vita Vea

Vea also gets a $6 million pay bump for the 2026 NFL season. He was previously set to make $18 million this year, bringing his new salary up to $24 million. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported last week that Vea was seeking an extension, placing him in the top defensive tackle tier, which currently sits around $38 million annually. It looks like the two sides compromised to get a deal done. Vea ranked in the top three on the team in quarterback pressures (51) and sacks (four) last year. Garafolo clarified in a follow-up segment that the $30 million extension includes this season’s pay increase. Vea will play for $24 million in 2027.

Garafolo says that the Buccaneers remain steadfast in their position that Vea is not available. The team has also apparently kept the lines of communication open with Vea regarding a potential new deal, although “a deal is not imminent.” Vea is set to make roughly $18 million in the final year of his contract. Garafolo notes that the top of the defensive tackle market is now around $38 million annually, and Vea believes his production qualifies him for a contract extension in that tier.

Fowler does acknowledge that Vea’s camp has “pretty heavy” trade interest and also notes that Vea has felt his contract has been outdated “for a long time.” Fowler adds that in his opinion it doesn’t seem like the Bucs really tried to reach an extension with Vea, at least as compared to how they acted with Baker Mayfield. It’s hard to make a trade with a team that doesn’t want to make a trade, so we’ll see how this unfolds but it’s far from certain that the Bucs will actually make good on Vea’s trade request.

Vea this week requested a trade after contract talks with the Tampa front office stalled. That he’s now sidelined with a back injury could be another way of Vea “holding in” until he gets a new deal from the Bucs or the team works out a trade for the star nose tackle. Vea, who has earned two Pro Bowl honors and has been one of the league’s top nose tackle since entering the league in 2018, could fit with any number of contending teams if the Bucs are willing to trade him for draft capital.

This comes on the heels of Vea’s absence from minicamp as the two sides were locked in negotiations. The evident impasse ultimately led to the eight-year veteran requesting a trade. Vea has earned two Pro Bowl honors and has been one of the league’s top nose tackle since entering the league for the Buccaneers with the team’s 2018 first-round selection. Losing Vea would be a significant hurdle for the Buccaneer to clear considering so much of what they are able to do defensively revolves around his ability to clog the middle of the defensive line.

Vea is due $17 million in the final year of his four-year contract, considerably lower than other top defensive big men around the league. It’s a situation to monitor as the season draws near, with the veteran nose tackle clearly looking for a new deal. Whether the saga carries into camp and the preseason remains to be seen, but it is possible Vea wants to put pen to paper before retaking the field.

The Buccaneers are without three of their top players this week. While Irving and Godwin continue to miss games, long-time No. 1 WR Mike Evans (collarbone/concussion) was recently placed on injured reserve. Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka will continue to operate as a fantasy WR1, while fellow rookie WR Tez Johnson can be started as a high-upside WR3/FLEX. Reddick’s absence is a plus for the Saints’ offense. His 27 quarterback pressures lead all Buccaneers defenders by three. Fortunately, DT Vita Vea (foot) is active.

He DNPed each of the final two practices of the week after not being listed on the report on Wednesday. It’s not great news for the Buccaneers that he didn’t find a limited status today, and we’d probably subjectively put him on the pessimistic side of questionable. Alvin Kamara could have a much easier task in Week 8 if Vea is ruled out.

Vea has been a stalwart defender throughout his career and is a big reason for the teams continued successes against the run, making his likely presence when the Buccaneers take the field in Week 1 against the Falcons a significant boost to their defense. It seems a full practice Friday was enough for coaches to confidently start Vea to begin the season.

He did get in a full practice on Friday, which would seem to put him in position to play after missing Wednesday and Thursday with the foot designation. Vea remains a load on the interior and, should he not play, his absence would be great news for Bijan Robinson in Week 1.