Defensive Tackle Vita Vea Requests Trade from Buccaneers

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Defensive Tackle Vita Vea Requests Trade from Buccaneers

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea, 31, has requested a trade from the team following an impasse in contract extension talks. Vea is entering the final season of a four-year, $71 million deal, signed in 2022, which carries an average annual value of $17.75 million. This figure places him 19th among interior defenders, a significant drop compared to other top defensive tackles who have recently secured contracts ranging from $24 million to $38 million per year.

Vea, who was drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round in 2018, has been a cornerstone of their defense throughout his eight-year career, earning two Pro Bowl selections. His agent, Collin Roberts, stated on August 6, 2026, that he doesn’t foresee the situation concluding in anything other than a trade. However, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has publicly stated he has “no plans” to trade Vea, and that communication with Vea’s camp is ongoing as of August 13, 2026.

The trade request follows Vea’s “hold-in” during mandatory minicamp in June and his absence from training camp practices, which began with a tweaked back but appears to be a continued protest over his contract. Vea has indicated a preference to be traded to a team in his home state of California or to the Las Vegas Raiders, though the Buccaneers are not obligated to honor such requests without a no-trade clause.

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