Vita Vea will not be leaving Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers and their two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle agreed to a one-year, $30 million extension during the second week of the preseason, ending what had been a contentious standoff between the player and the team.
According to ESPN, the extension includes $30 million guaranteed. It adds $6 million on top of the $18 million Vea was already set to earn in 2026, bringing his total for that year to $24 million. He will earn an additional $24 million in 2027.
The deal resolves a situation that looked increasingly unlikely to end in Tampa's favor. Vea had requested a trade, and his agent, Collin Roberts, had suggested a trade was the most probable outcome. Instead, the two sides reached an agreement while Vea was in the final year of a four-year, $71 million contract he signed in 2022.
Vea is now entering his ninth season, all with the Buccaneers. The team selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was part of the Super Bowl championship team in 2020 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2021. His second came in 2024, when he recorded a career-high seven sacks.
The 31-year-old's return is a boost for a franchise dealing with multiple unsettled situations. Wide receiver Mike Evans, a franchise cornerstone, left for San Francisco during free agency. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is also heading into the final year of his deal and has publicly expressed frustration with his contract status. He made those comments on the first day of training camp before shifting his focus back to football. He recently said the Buccaneers are poised to "shock a lot of people this year."
Vea's extension also has implications for how the Buccaneers can manage their roster going forward. With Vea under contract, he is no longer a candidate for the franchise tag next offseason. Mayfield, however, remains a possibility for the tag in 2027 if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before then.
