Adam Schefter: “Same Thing” For Vita Vea
July 13th, 2026
Do the Bucs want to hand 31-year-old manbeast defensive tackle Vita Vea a contract extension before this season?
Per ESPN-TV super NFL insider Adam Schefter speaking today on The Pat McAfee Show, it seems the Bucs do indeed want that to happen.
Schefter was asked about Baker Mayfield’s contract-extension status and shared what Bucs fans already know. The Bucs made an offer that disappointed Mayfield and the two sides are eager to find common ground.
He added the Bucs “will definitely be working to try to get a deal done with Baker.”
And then Schefter was hit with a question about the Bucs’ interest in getting a contract extension done for Vea.
Like Mayfield, Vea’s contract ends after this season. Schefter replied, “Same thing,” referring to the Mayfield talks.
Then Schefter explained all teams are approaching a negotiation window before training camp when deals get done. He suspects Mayfield-Bucs talks will heat up — just prior to Bucs players reporting to camp on July 28.
While the Bucs likely are serious about getting a deal done with Mayfield, Joe suspects their motivation is not the same for Vea, whose NFL life expectancy is much shorter than Mayfield’s.
Joe has no doubt that Vea is looking for a monster payday, his final one in the NFL.
July 13th, 2026 at 2:21 pm
Vita will get done before baker…His extension will come the week that TC starts
baker won a playoff game 3years ago and folks want to sign him to a long term deal lol…since then he’s lead the NFL in INTs and Fumbles and choked in December 25’…he has zero leverage…he’ll be forced to play it out and prove he can:
A.) Stay healthy
B.) win in DEC & JAN(playoffs)
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 13th, 2026 at 2:52 pm
Baker won’t win in Dec/Jan if the defense quits like they did last year.
Won’t win if Bowles’ keeps blowing decisions on game day.
Won’t win if half the oline is out, and they have to resort to practice squad (at best) quality replacements.
July 13th, 2026 at 2:58 pm
He has what 1 or 2 good years left? Where is he going? Give him a nice 3-year deal that we can get out of after 2 to protect his decline which will be obvious with him. Go BUCS!!
July 13th, 2026 at 3:17 pm
1 or 2 good years?? He’s not old for a QB. Their shelf life is significantly longer than most other positions. He may still be 2 contracts away from retiring. Or 3, depending on length. There’s no reason to believe he’s declining. The offensive line sure was last year. Fortunately, we have great starters when they are in.
July 13th, 2026 at 3:17 pm
813bucboi, what is your source or is this your assumption?
July 13th, 2026 at 3:21 pm
I do not understand the mania to extend Vita and Baker – sure the players want long guaranteed lucrative contracts – just leave the negotiations until the end of the 2026 season
July 13th, 2026 at 3:30 pm
mod
JL usually extends player in AUG…you can check his track record
but baker will have to play his out..vita will get done
GO BUCS!!!!
July 13th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Try and trade VV while he still has value. No takers, then let him play out his contract.
July 13th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Yes absolutely give Vita his money!! Worth every penny. Dude is great!!, He is going to be in the Ring of Honor one day. Love Vita Vea!! The whole defensive success revolves around #50 doing his thing.
July 13th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
I’m really liking this team. I hated losing Mike, and Rachaad, and Jamal. But they needed to go. Vita Vea is the last Rock left on this defense at the moment. The offense has a few rocks left in Godwin and Wirfs. The team needs to keep these rocks for as long as we can.
July 13th, 2026 at 3:47 pm
Sounds like Bale broke the news in the quarterback doc that he was playing with a sprained mcl and pick since week 2.
I figured that hit from Pitre where Baker was on the ground in agony was more serious than he led on.
July 13th, 2026 at 3:47 pm
MCL and pcl*
July 13th, 2026 at 3:48 pm
Trainning with Suh is the reason why I think the Bucs should make VV an offer to make him (trully) a Bucs for life.
Go Bucs
July 13th, 2026 at 3:50 pm
I was talking about Vita. Baker has what 6-8 years left on quality QB play. Pay him long term-Vita not so much. Go BUCS!!
July 13th, 2026 at 4:05 pm
Don’t get fans wanting to run Vea off. That’s all this defense needs. You guys taking crazy pills? Joe thinks Vea wants to break the bank, I’m not so sure. What I do know is Vea has plenty of ball left in him. He’s a future ROH Buc. I do not want to see him going anywhere.
July 13th, 2026 at 4:05 pm
Jason-Licht-is-a-nitwit Says:
July 13th, 2026 at 3:21 pm
“I do not understand the mania to extend Vita and Baker – sure the players want long guaranteed lucrative contracts – just leave the negotiations until the end of the 2026 season”
They will be free agents if you wait to sign after the season is over. Some team will pay big bucks that is very good but needs a decent QB or DL. Look at Seattle if you want to see an example.
July 13th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
StPete Matt is so eager to defend Baker, that when a poster is talking about a completely different player, he chimes in.
Matt Truth was referring to Vita having only a couple years left.
July 13th, 2026 at 4:13 pm
Yeah Floormatt truly has some serious man love for Faker.
Vita is a stud. I’d give him a contract way before our sub par QB.
He’s actually won a SB. Unlike Faker who never will even play in one.
Mike knows!
July 13th, 2026 at 4:30 pm
I’d gladly give Vita an extension, certainly before I’d give Baker one. Vita has consistently been increasing the number of snaps he plays each game, and has mostly stayed healthy. Like others on the team, he’s a victim of Bowles awful super soft zone defense that always gives QB’s an easy pass to make when they get into trouble, and so his sacks numbers are never going to be high (also for the dummies out there, almost no 3-4 NT’s rack up big numbers as their job is more about eating up offensive lineman to let other guys make plays).
I used to never be as high on Vita as others, who stupidly talked about him being in the same class as Sapp – which has never been close to true, and only Aaron Donald over the last couple of decades is in that class. But while those morons oversold Vita, now, for some reason, the idiots have decided that Vita is overrated, which also isn’t true.
As for Vita aging, I don’t buy the idea he won’t age well. Because he’s so big, and always has played well over his combine weight of 350, that people quote as if it isn’t a decade out of date, well being that size gives him two routes to go. When Vita does start to lose a step, he can just drop weight to get it back. If he was a Suh sized 330lb, you can’t convince me he’s suddenly not going to be able to play the run. Conversely, Vita could also go the other route and get up to 400lb and just become a completely immoveable 2-down run stuffer, which is still a very highly sought after commodity. Personally I’d take the lower weight, but the fact he has two options available, means he’s got more years left in him. Considering he’s under contract this year, I’d do a 3-year extension, with the 3rd year basically being a team option – or giving the ability to cut him without blowing up the cap. Yeah, he’ll be expensive, but if you’ve paid attention to football salaries, everything is expensive now.
July 13th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Baker always chokes in the playoffs. He wins one game and then ends up falling off just like the first guy said he needs to stay healthy and win in the playoffs. Matter fact just win in December and January. And stop trying to blame it on the offensive line. It’s not always the offensive line’s fault. Now that Baker doesn’t have Mike Evans as a safety net we’ll see if he can make decisions in the pocket and stay healthy. Try to slide once in a while he doesn’t have to try to run through linebackers makes no sense. Half the league already knows that he’s tough and he’s a bad ass but now he needs to show people that he can step it up. Make right decisions. Use his check downs once in a while and get the ball moving because as of now he’s Jameis Winston. And if the defense isn’t playing like it should then Todd Bowles needs to get the hell out of town. Because we have fresh bodies hopefully people can stay healthy and play meaningful football 60 min a game
July 13th, 2026 at 4:57 pm
Anyone from this defense asking for a raise is a CLOWN
July 13th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
In the Washington game he was 15 of 18 for 2 td’s and 185 yards, 146 passer rating. Skins never punted, had the ball over 35 minutes, were 8 of 15 on 3rd down, 3 of 5 on 4th. McMillan ran into Baker on the jet sweep, timing was off. QB gets charged with the fumble in botched exchanges, but it was obviously not his fault
July 13th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
If he refuses to practice, trade him
July 13th, 2026 at 6:41 pm
Vita should be traded for some future draft picks, to a contender with a real head coach. Make the picks for 2028 so a new head coach will have had time to survey the carnage and see what he really wants.
July 13th, 2026 at 6:50 pm
Let’s not handcuff future seasons over paid back loaded contracts for old players.
July 13th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau “Vita” Vea is training with Ndamakong Suh who played effectively until 35 years of age and is likely a HOF’er. VV is 31 so logic would tell us that VV likely has at least 3 or maybe 4 good seasons left. Currently Vea is the 17th highest paid Interior Defensive Lineman in the NFL. VV is way underpaid and deserves to finish his career as a Buc for life-so get off your wallet Glazer boys and tell Licht to get er done.
July 13th, 2026 at 7:02 pm
@Beeej
Correct assessment. Baker gets the blame by the haters. Buc’s offense had only 7 possessions. Scored on 4 with 20 points. That play was going a long long way. Shame they fumbled.
July 13th, 2026 at 7:09 pm
Extend Vea as long as possible, five years if possible, with enough guaranteed money to get him to sign and big incentives in the later years.
July 13th, 2026 at 8:39 pm
Extend vea. He’s still a beast also he trains with suh who looked great well into his mid 30s plus vea paired with Robinson , bain , kancey when healthy and yaya will be a nice combo and should do dividends for our DBs which is our weakest link I mean at CB smith and Winfield are a great duo
July 13th, 2026 at 9:48 pm
Umm
We better pray that Vita “wants to” waste more of his limited and valuable time here in Tampa Bay. Nobody else “that had a choice” CERTAINLY DIDN’T waste another second getting out of here!
Yeah, I think the Bucs BETTER pony up the dough! OR ELSE because you people got to get serious about our TRUE SITUATION! WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF “SWAGGY BAKER” TIME AGAIN!
I’m SURE that most of you have FORGOTTEN who we “Not So Long Ago”… WERE!
AND WE ARE ON THE BRINK AGAIN! WHY AM I AND SMART OTHERS PISSED?
You just get to remembering good Ole Swaggy Baker days.. THEY ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER WITH GUYS LIKE THE CURRENT CANCER WHO’S FORCED US BACK INTO THE “DEN OF DEPRESSION”!
NOBODY FEARS TAMPA BAY ANY MORE AND “THAT” MEANS WELCOME BACK TO THE GOOD OLE “SWAGGY BAKER AND HIS PALM TREE DAYS!” THAT’S WHAT YOU LEMMINGS ARE PUSHING FOR! DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE WAY CLOSER TO THAT GOAL THAN YOU THINK!!!!
July 13th, 2026 at 9:59 pm
Both should be real easy. Fully guarantee Vea for this season, and then extend him for 2027 at $23.5MIL (with about $5-$6MIL of it guaranteed), & call-it a day. He can’t get anymore than that at HIS age, or you’re just blowing-up your cap in future years, AND then you won’t even be able to ‘move him’ at the trade-deadline, either. Cause, NOBODY is committing LONGTERM to Vea at ‘top of the market’ money, for his age 33-35+ SEASONS. So, only a 1-year ‘extension’ makes sense… And, HE SHOULD TAKE-IT. Cause, it’s the best he’s gonna get. He ain’t ‘sittin-out’ and missing-out on $17-18 MILLION. If he does, THEN WHAT!? He ain’t goin ANYWHERE, unless they trade him. The BUCS still own his rights… It doesn’t just disappear, because HE chose to sit-out. Ya think that’s going to benefit HIM… Sitting-Out!? Do you really think THAT’S going to make a team want to THEN give him a longterm/top-of-market deal in 2027, for a 32, almost 33-YEAR OLD!? Yeah, I don’t think so. And, for Baker… EVEN, easier. There’s a DEAL already on the table. Take-it, or Leave-it. “Leave-it,” and we’ll just have to play-it out, and THEN SEE.
July 13th, 2026 at 10:01 pm
This stuff shouldn’t be very hard. Not in the Bucs current situation.
July 13th, 2026 at 10:26 pm
You CAN’T give an undersized, beaten and banged up, inconsistent and quickly AGING Quarterback ‘top-of-the-market’ money LONGTERM. You’re just shooting yourself in the foot. It NEVER ends well, with these guys! It is the KISS of DEATH. You can forget about it. They literally, age OVERNIGHT. If you do… You talk about a VERY BAD lookin’ DEAL. Almost IMMEDIATELY. I mean, just LOOK at HIM… He’s already been a guy that has to TRY too hard. Nothing ever comes easy for him. Do you REALLY THINK it will the older, and more banged up HE GETS!? Seriously. There has NOT been very many QB’s either, who have played at an ELITE level, past the age of 35… Much less, 40. There just hasn’t. And, we’re NOT talking about an “ALL-TIME GREAT” here, either. We’re talking about an ‘undersized’ QB, who things have NOT come easy. The majority of his ENTIRE CAREER, has been a STRUGGLE. That’s why they call-it a “CLIFF.” It literally happens in a SECOND, when you fall off it! There is no gradual decline. It is IMMEDIATE and IMMINENT.
July 13th, 2026 at 11:53 pm
Vea is 31yrs old and will be 32yrs old before next season. He has 2 maybe 3yrs left in the league. He’s going to want a big pay day seeing how this will probably be his last contract. I’m perfectly fine with Vea playing out his contract. Then revaluating after this season. I would even be open to trading Vea for draft capital in 27′ if someone made a good offer.
As far as Baker Mayfield. I disagree with many other fans who seem to think he’s a loser who can’t win big games. I’m inclined to give Mayfield a mulligan on the second half of last year. The defense looked like they were trying to get Bowles fired or eager start their off-season. Not to mention the Oline was a mess and the WR’s were injured all year. Letting Mayfield play out his contract is a mistake, Mayfield would have even more leverage than he does now. With Baker this team isn’t picking in the top 10 of next year’s draft. So if he leaves for greener pastures (Which is a real possibility) this team is looking for another free agent veteran QB. If Baker and the offense play well. Chances are the OC will get poached and there’s a chance Baker walks. If that happens they won’t have too tank.
July 14th, 2026 at 12:22 am
Beeej Says:
July 13th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
In the Washington game he was 15 of 18 for 2 td’s and 185 yards, 146 passer rating. Skins never punted, had the ball over 35 minutes, were 8 of 15 on 3rd down, 3 of 5 on 4th. McMillan ran into Baker on the jet sweep, timing was off. QB gets charged with the fumble in botched exchanges, but it was obviously not his fault
————–
Except he literally said it was his fault, and the replay shows him doing the poor handoff.
Additionally, he got the ball back the next drive, still with the game on the line and only came away with a FG when they had to have a TD.
As for the Bucs defense, they held the Redskins offense — one of the hottest in the league — to 16 points.
But no, it’s not Baker’s fault – it never is.
Just like his previous playoff game, vs the Lions, in a one score game, 2 mins left, all 3 timeouts, in the biggest moment in Baker’s life and what does he do? Promptly goes out and throws an INT on the 2nd play of the drive.
Then last year, with the playoffs on the line … Baker chokes, loses 3 games in a row. Then, because he’s in the NFC South, he STILL has a chance to made good and get the Bucs win, all he has to do is beat a bad Dolphins team — and what does he do? He has, when you consider the situation and his performance, the worst game of his Bucs career, to lose a 4th game in a row with the playoffs on the line.
But right, it wasn’t his fault – nothing is ever his fault. He’s ICE, like Matty Ice in the SB, LOL!
July 14th, 2026 at 12:27 am
JeffreyLane77 Says:
As far as Baker Mayfield. I disagree with many other fans who seem to think he’s a loser who can’t win big games. I’m inclined to give Mayfield a mulligan on the second half of last year.
————–
I think his performances in must win games, in playoff games, pretty much says everything. He’s 2-11 in primetime and playoff games in Tampa.
With that said – me, as many others in here, are saying Baker IS the man in 2026, that has already been decided. However let Baker play out the season, and then decide if you make him one of the highest paid players in the NFL. Doing it now, coming off a year where he cost the team the playoffs and played so crappy he got his entire offensive staff fired – I don’t see how that is rewarded with a new deal.
July 14th, 2026 at 7:16 am
They have picked up some decent DT lately for next to nothing that you don’t have to pay 20m for a nose tackle
July 14th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Stat guy Says:
July 14th, 2026 at 7:16 am
They have picked up some decent DT lately for next to nothing that you don’t have to pay 20m for a nose tackle
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A high IQ take… the defensive line is a position where you can cheap out, it really one of the least important positions in football.
LOL! What a maroon, what a maroon.