Vita Vea Requests Trade From The Tampa Bay Buccaneers After Contract Negotiations Stall

Vita Vea requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, one day before veterans were due to report for training camp, after negotiations on a contract extension stalled and the two sides found themselves nowhere close to an agreement. His agent Collin Roberts confirmed the request to ESPN.

Vea, 31, is entering the final year of the four-year, $71 million extension he signed in 2022. He is due $17 million in base salary this season, none of it guaranteed, plus up to $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.

He wants a long-term deal. The Buccaneers have not offered one. He conducted a hold-in at mandatory minicamp in June to signal his displeasure. Coach Todd Bowles called it "part of the business." Nothing changed.

Despite the request, Vea is expected to report to camp Tuesday. He is not holding out, which limits his leverage but keeps him in the building.

He prefers a West Coast destination, specifically a California team or the Las Vegas Raiders, per The Athletic. Teams like the Bills and Packers have also been mentioned as fits.

What the Buccaneers would be giving up: one of the most dominant interior linemen in football.

Vea has 35 career sacks, generates consistent pressure, collapses the pocket and anchors Tampa Bay's run defense.

He and Baker Mayfield are both entering contract walk years simultaneously, giving the Buccaneers two significant decisions before the season kicks off.