Buccaneers face a brand new layer of contract drama that has zero to do with Baker Mayfield and everything to do with Vita Vea
Buccaneers veterans report to training camp in less than 24 hours and it’s completely unclear what Vita Vea’s role is in the upcoming
Everyone has been talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Baker Mayfield contract negotiations, but it’s apparently been the conversation about Vita Vea’s desire for a new deal that matters most.
That’s because, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Vita Vea and his camp requested a trade on Monday, one day before Buccaneers veterans are set to report to training camp. Vea “held-in” during mandatory minicamp as he enters the final year of a four-year, $71 million deal he signed back in 2022. Mayfield has yet to “hold-in” or ask for a trade, for comparison’s sake.
“What it does mean, is he’s serious,” ESPN’s Mike Garafolo said on Monday night’s edition of The Insiders.
Per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, the move mainly pertains to the lack of an extension. Whether that’s two, three, four, or whatever years remains to be seen, but the point stands.
However, in the Buccaneers’ defense, it’s illogical to give Vea a multi-year extension, yet logical to simply hand Vea a raise that puts him in the top-10 when it comes to the cash amounts interior defensive lineman make in 2026. That’s around a $3-$5 million bump and the range is a fair number considering Vea has outperformed the aforementioned contract.
This isn’t good news for the Buccaneers defense, but it’s also not bad news
Let’s be real: This is the business side of the sport. Vea’s desire for a new deal is not illogical, but one can easily make a case why the Buccaneers need to be judicious in this scenario.
As we all know, Baker Mayfield is up for a deal that could easily make him the highest-paid Buccaneer in history. Then, there’s Yaya Diaby, Cody Mauch, and Chase McLaughlin, to consider ahead of them when including the fact they are young, foundational players at important positions.
There’s also the question of “who takes over?” to consider. If Vea were traded, it’d be Calijah Kancey, A’Shawn Robinson, and likely fifth-round rookie DeMonte Capehart (taking over for Vea plus a rotation) in line to man the front of line of the Buccaneers defense.
With all due respect, that’s not a good spot for the Buccaneers, at all. It’s in their best interests to keep Vea and if they do the odds are he plays his ass off so he can earn a new contract elsewhere. Frankly, that’s the best of both worlds for each party if that comes to fruition.
Either way, it’s clear only time will tell in this situation.