The wait was over for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans as two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea and the franchise agreed to a one-year contract extension. Right after signing the new contract, Vea shared how his retirement will be linked to the Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles.
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“I kind of want to set the record straight,” he said in the presser on August 20. “I feel like there’s a lot of, a lot of stuff going on about Bowles. I feel like none of it is Bowles’ fault. We all love Bowles. He’s telling us what to do. He’s giving us all the answers to the test.
“And it’s on us players to be able to go out there and execute what he’s telling us to do. So he’s always putting us in the best position to play. … I even told Bowles, the day he retires is the day I retire.”
The Buccaneers handed Vea a one-year, $30 million extension on August 19, according to ESPN. Under the new agreement, Vea will earn an additional $6 million in 2026, bringing his pay to $24 million this season, followed by another $24 million in 2027. The move came weeks after he had requested a trade, with his agent also reporting that an exit was the most likely outcome.
Vea, who has spent his entire career at Tampa Bay, remained a “hold-in” during the minicamp after skipping voluntary workouts. This was the last year of his initial contract.
“Yeah, it’s just all part of the business,” he said of the negotiations. “I got drafted here. I made Tampa my home. I love it here,” Vea said. “The guys on the team are like brothers to me. We look at each other as family. So I didn’t want to leave that behind and switch teams and get traded. That was never the end goal for me. I always wanted to be here.”
In that way, Bowles is a major factor in keeping Vea locked into the Buccaneers roster. By retaining him, Tampa Bay keeps a defensive cornerstone who has recorded 256 total tackles, 35 sacks, and 79 quarterback hits, placing him eighth in franchise history for sacks.
“We know what he brings to our defense – he’s the centerpiece of it,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “Obviously, he’s a big part in the run game and the pass rush as well. So, to get him back in the fold and start getting him working in with the other guys is good.”
However, Vita Vea remains sidelined in practice. Bowles had said that the DT had tweaked his back, but Vea said at the presser he’s all good now. Vea will not be playing in the remaining two preseason games, but he should be cleared for Week 1.