Vita Vea is in the final year of the four-year, $71 million extension he signed in 2022. Mike Carlson / Getty ImagesBy Mike Jones and The Athletic NFL StaffJuly 27, 2026 Updated 7:35 pm EDTTwo-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as contract extension talks have stalled. The two sides have been far apart in discussions, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told The Athletic. Vea is in the final season of a four-year, $71 million contract extension he signed in 2022.Training camp for Tampa Bay opens on Tuesday, which is when veterans are due to report. Vea attended, but did not participate in, the Bucs’ mandatory minicamp last month.
The 31-year-old Vea is set to earn $17 million in base salary this season, plus a per-game roster bonus of up to $1 million total, although there is no guaranteed money remaining on his current deal.After winning four consecutive NFC South titles, the Buccaneers fell just short of another repeat last season despite finishing 8-9, losing out on a tiebreaker to the Carolina Panthers. This offseason, GM Jason Licht made several aggressive upgrades to his defensive unit, drafting edge Rueben Bain Jr. (Round 1) and linebacker Josiah Trotter (Round 2) and signing several veterans, including linebacker Alex Anzalone, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches.Vea, who has started 84 of a possible 91 games including the playoffs since 2021, was set to be at the heart of that revamped unit. Now, however, he could be a highly coveted trade chip, should the Buccaneers actively look to move him.
