Vita Vea’s hold-in has come to an end. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and the Buccaneers came to terms on a one-year, $30 million extension, according to ESPN. Vea is now locked in with Tampa Bay through the 2027 season.
The extension reportedly includes $30 million guaranteed and will add $6 million to the $18 million Vea was slated to earn in 2026 for a total of $24 million. Vea will also earn an additional $24 million in 2027.
The agreement ends what had been a tumultuous several weeks for Vea and the Buccaneers. Vea — who was entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million deal that he penned back in 2022 — recently requested a trade, and his agent, Collin Roberts, essentially said that a trade involving his client was the most likely conclusion. The opposite has happened, however, as Vea and the Buccaneers reached an agreement during the second week of the preseason.
Now in his ninth season, the 31-year-old Vea has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, who selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. A member of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl championship team in 2020, Vea earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021. He was named to his second Pro Bowl in 2024 after recording a career-high seven sacks.
Vea’s signing is much-needed positive news for a Buccaneers team that saw franchise icon Mike Evans depart for San Francisco during free agency. The team is also continuing to deal with Baker Mayfield’s contract situation. Mayfield, who is slated to become a free agent after the 2026 season, publicly voiced his displeasure with his current contract status during the first day of training camp.
Since making those comments, however, Mayfield has since put the focus back on football. He recently said that the Buccaneers are poised to «shock a lot of people this year.» Wednesday’s news regarding Vea’s extension will certainly help the Buccaneers if they are going to make Mayfield’s claim a reality.
Vea’s deal may also affect Mayfield’s future with the Buccaneers. Now that Vea is signed, he is no longer a candidate to be franchise tagged by the Buccaneers next offseason. Mayfield, however, continues to be an option for the franchise tag in 2027.
