Vita

Vea

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.

It’s potentially good news for the Bucs as Vea appears set to log at least one practice before the end of the week. The veteran lineman was a DNP during the team’s first two practices to open the week, but even a limited practice would bode well for his Week 1 outlook against the Falcons. The team will release their final injury report later in the day, which should give us a good sense of whether or not Vea has a chance to suit up for the season opener.

Vea, 30, has built an extension lower-body injury record over the last two years. He dealt with a recurring calf issue in 2023, a worked through both knee (MCL) and hamstring issues last year. The towering (6'4/347) nose tackle remains a game changer whenever he’s on the field and he regularly plays through injuries. Buccaneers S Christian Izien (oblique) was also sidelined Wednesday.

Vea was added to the team’s injury report Saturday after missing practice with a hamstring injury, placing his status for the team’s Week 7 showdown with the Ravens in question. Vea has struggled through multiple injuries this season but has missed just one game, although a late-week addition to the injury report with a new injury is never a good sign for a player’s chances of suiting up. Considering Vea remains one of the better run-stoppers in the league, his potential absence is meaningful with a matchup against Derrick Henry and the Ravens on tap.

Vea had a shot at suiting up last week, but the Bucs ultimately held him out on Sunday. He was limited in all three practices this week and looks to be on the right side of the questionable tag heading into the weekend. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. both remain out for Week 4.

Vea suffered a sprained MCL in Week 2 and missed last week because of the issue. He only practiced once before being assigned a questionable tag. While he may be listed as questionable again this week, a limited session to start the proceedings is a step in the right direction.