By The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the biggest storylines of the offseason developing as defensive tackle Vita Vea is conducted a “hold-in” during mandatory minicamp while seeking a new contract.
Vea attended team activities to avoid NFL fines but did not participate in drills as negotiations over a new contract continue.
The Buccaneers must be in sticker shock after seeing the Tennessee Titans throw the bank at Jeffrey Simmons to get him signed to a new deal.
Simmons signed a 3-year, $105.8 million extension with $100 million guaranteed, averaging $35.3 million per year, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
Vita Vea and his agent must be licking their chops.
Vea is entering the final year of his current contract, and he is scheduled to earn approximately $17 million in 2026.
The problem, from Vea’s perspective, is that none of his 2026 salary is guaranteed. At 31 years old, he is looking for long-term security and wants to be compensated closer to the top of the defensive tackle market.
Vea signed his extension in 2022, and since then, the market has exploded.
His current salary ranks well below that of the elite defensive tackles in football, such as Chris Jones, Dexter Lawrence, and Jordan Davis. All three have signed much richer deals in recent years.
Vea’s argument for a new contract is simple:
—He is one of the NFL’s best run-stopping defensive tackles.
—He is the centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s defensive front.
—He played all 17 games in 2025.
—He is a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
—His presence allows linebackers and edge rushers to make plays because offensive lines must dedicate multiple blockers to him.
Even when Vea’s sack totals are not eye-popping, his value goes far beyond statistics. Opposing offenses often build their entire game plan around accounting for him.
So what is Vita Vea worth?
Vea will be 32 during the 2027 season, so the Buccaneers probably aren’t looking to give him a massive five-year contract. Interior defensive linemen who rely on power and size can remain productive into their mid-30s, but teams must be careful about paying for past performance.
He will not come close to the $35 million the Titans gave Jeffrey Simmons.
But three years at $65-75 million is reasonable. That averages out to $21-25 million per season and $40-50 million guaranteed money.
That would give Vea the security he wants while protecting the Buccaneers from excessive long-term risk.
The Buccaneers need him. They do not have another player on the roster who can do what Vea does.
Since being drafted 12th overall in 2018, Vea has accumulated 256 tackles and 35 sacks while becoming one of the league’s most dominant nose tackles.
His impact isn’t always reflected in the box score. Tampa Bay’s run defense has consistently been among the NFL’s best when Vea is healthy.
He occupies double teams, collapses pockets, and will make life easier for players such as linebackers and edge rushers Rueben Bane Jr., Yaya Diaby, and Alex Anzalone.
Todd Bowles and the defense will build schemes around his ability to command attention in the middle of the line.
Will he get a new deal before the start of training camp?
General manager Jason Licht has a strong track record of taking care of core players, and head coach Todd Bowles has publicly downplayed the situation. Bowles said the team is not concerned and described the situation as part of the business side of football.
The Buccaneers previously worked through a similar situation with offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in 2024 before ultimately signing him to a new deal.
I expect that Vea and the Buccaneers eventually agree to a three-year extension worth somewhere in the $22-24 million per year range before training camp or early in camp.
The Buccaneers are trying to win now, and allowing one of the most important players on the defense to enter the season unhappy would not be
At 31, Vea may not command the very top of the defensive tackle market, but he remains one of the most impactful interior defenders in football. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, he is worth every penny of a new contract.
He is one of the NFL’s best run-stopping defensive tackles.
He is the centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s defensive front.
He played all 17 games in 2025.
He is a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
His presence allows linebackers and edge rushers to make plays because offensive lines must dedicate multiple blockers to him.
