Vita Vea sent shockwaves across the NFL at the beginning of training camp when he requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers amid a tense contract standoff with the team. He's been linked to several franchises across the league since, with multiple teams reportedly reaching out to the Bucs to check on his availability. But on Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter joined "The Pat McAfee Show" and dropped a surprising report, saying that Vea is now trending toward getting a new deal done with the Bucs.
"To me, reading between the lines and having conversations with people, it feels like there's been a shift with Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It feels like we've gone from a tone of pessimism to one where there's potential optimism. It feels like we've gone from Vita Vea wanting a trade to Vita Vea now wanting to try to get a deal done," Schefter said.
I think eventually the two sides figure it out. I think they get something done, and I think Vita Vea stays in Tampa Bay." Shortly after, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Vea doesn't intend to rejoin Bucs practices until he receives a new extension. However, the two sides remain at an impasse, with his 2026 salary of around $18 million well below his current market value, which Spotrac puts at around $31.5 million.
More news: Eagles’ $100 Million Man in Doubt for Week 1 Vea is a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and a member of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning 2021 squad. He's also one of the longest-tenured players on the Bucs, and losing him, especially to another contender just before the 2026 season, would have been a devastating blow. But it looks like that may not be the case now.
More news: Could the Texans Bring Back a Familiar Face After Losing Jayden Higgins? More news: Von Miller Calls Signing With Cowboys ‘Dream Within a Dream’ Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter recently received a four-year, $152 million deal, with an annual salary of around $38 million, making him the highest-paid player at the position in NFL history. Meanwhile, Quinnen Williams got a four-year, $105.9 million deal worth around $35.3 million annually, and Jeffery Simmons received a four-year extension worth $105.8 million, or $35.28 million per year.
Vea will likely push for a deal in and around that $35 million annual range, but with the market having only gone up since his trade request, he could be pushing for a number even closer to Carter's record-breaking $152 million deal. For Tampa Bay, that's the price of keeping one of the most important pieces of its defense. For Vea, it could be a chance to turn what looked like an ugly breakup just weeks ago into a massive payday and a long-term future in Tampa.
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