Todd Bowles Dismisses Distraction Talk Related To Vita Vea
July 29th, 2026
Joe can just hear it now.
Joe will bet when you turn on WDAE-AM 620/WDAE-FM 95.7 to local programming, within 10 minutes a caller will cry how Vita “Trade Me” Vea’s contract hassle with the Bucs is a distraction so intense that not only will it doom the Bucs’ 2026 season by itself, but will also destroy the proposal to build a new Rays stadium.
Todd Bowles stated today Vea’s demand to be shipped out of town being a distraction is just nonsense.
“It comes up every year,” Bowles said of contract hassles. “That usually takes care of itself.
“Our job is to get the guys ready to play for camp. Vita is here and we’re getting him ready. He’s engaged in the meetings. He understands everything.
“He helps all the guys out. So, we’re getting ready to play the season with him.”
Pressed with how the team is dealing with Vea’s demands, Bowles said professionals should not be bothered by chatter that does not involve football.
“We don’t let the outside noise affect what we’re doing right now,” Bowles said. “We’re getting ready for camp. We’re trying to build camaraderie and chemistry and we’re getting ready each day, and that’s all we do.”
Yes, Vita was engaged this morning. While he was a hold-in nursed his tweaked back, he held a blocking dummy during line drills.
Bowles said Vea’s status is unchanged from a few days ago before his trade demand was made public. Prior to the back mishap (ahem), Bowles raved how fit and in-shape Vea was for camp.
Joe is in Bowles’ camp here. Joe’s high school coach always said, “distractions are distractions if you let them be distractions.” If this worked for high school kids, the same philosophy better work for professionals.
Worry about the task at hand. And yes, then the distractions are what Bowles said they are: “noise.”
July 29th, 2026 at 6:39 pm
As a Bill Parcells disciple, both should just use his line, “I coach the players that are on the field.“
July 29th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Pressed with how the team is dealing with Vea’s demands, Bowles said professionals should not be bothered by chatter that does not involve football.
“We don’t let the outside noise affect what we’re doing right now,” Bowles said.
What outside noise? Vita is in the bldg wanting an extension, the noise is coming from the inside. I mean Vita watched the QB and CB play horribly and get offered extensions, meanwhile he’s played great and restructured his contract when needed and he gets nothing. Oh well…
July 29th, 2026 at 7:03 pm
I disagree. All the noise is what team is going to get vita, Bucs are falling apart, blah blah blah. Very much how vita wanted to handle this situation (ie publically requesting a trade and getting Suh involved). It’s noise for the GM and owners to deal with, not the coaching staff down
July 29th, 2026 at 7:10 pm
You boys are in denial.
All these players know this team doomed to be 7 win team.
Look at that road schedule. Looking for corners on the scrap heap.
Bowles will not change. Baker will be below average.
Players on top of players will sidelined with soft tissue injuries..
Everybody will have the U-hauls loaded up by week 10.
Do not give Baker “who will be hurt again ” 50 mill long term deal.
If a crappy team will give a 1st rounder for Vea send him.
We will need a Cheap qb for the rebuild.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:24 pm
And immediately after, someone in the Bucs press pool asked the same about Baker lol
July 29th, 2026 at 7:25 pm
💯 All of these same old ‘emotional’ FANS have proclaimed all off-season long, that THIS Bucs Team with their LOADED ROSTER, will ‘win’ 11-13 GAMES, and are legit true “Super Bowl” Contenders. Now, suddenly, these same old ‘emotional’ FANS, are all ‘wetting-the-bed’ over EVERY little piece of news, being dropped during TRAINING CAMP. When, literally, NOTHING has even changed yet. And, just exactly as I said they all would. I said, JUST WAIT until we get to Training Camp and then the Preseason. When, it becomes all-out PANIC MODE, over EVERY little ankle-sprain, groin pull, or Fricken HANGNAIL. They’re ALL going to absolutely LOSE IT and FREAK TF OUT. But, the rest of you can all see here, what is REALLY going on… The season is getting CLOSER. They’re all starting to fold now! They can’t handle-it! The pressure is really starting to get to them and break ‘em DOWN. So much so, that there has already been SEVERAL, who have just completely DISAPPEARED (like they always do)… I wonder why that is!? Hmmmm… Because, they are WEAK and never truly ‘believed-in’ ANYTHING that they were spewing. It was ALL empty. They’re all gone now, and entirely OFF the bandwagon. Barely even, before the FIRST PRACTICE.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:31 pm
You need to listen to Godwin. The players know it is real and how the Organization handles it good or bad it effects morale one way or the other make no mistake. I can’t blame Vea he is under paid and has been outstanding. I agree with Ira I think the Glazers are wondering which way this team is going. Up or down. If the team does go downhill definitely a possibility especially with the cb situation why do the Glazers want to extend him. However should the team play well then of course they will extend him and pay him. I don’t think Vea and Baker are getting extensions until the Glazers see which way the team is going. It certainly appears they are not in a hurry. Vea will have to play and play well it is his only leverage at this point and the Bucs know it. However I think they need him and should pay him. They no doubt will be worse without him.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:32 pm
What else is he going to say? Kind of a stock answer.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:40 pm
Too much talk about what “could be” a fall off for Vita due to age, and not enough talk about what “actually is”. Which is that he is a premiere/elite player at his position who (by market standards) is severely underpaid. Pay the man.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:44 pm
All the platitudes and motivational phrases that you can come up with are not going to change the fact that everybody in camp is thinking about the fact that Vea wants to leave and that Baker didn’t get a contract.
They are all thinking the same thing: “what’s going to happen to me when it’s time for me to get paid?”
So you can say all you want, Joey, that this doesn’t matter, but it does.
These guys are all young men with financial responsibilities and all they’re seeing is that the team doesn’t support its best veterans and leaders.
Licht showing up was just a stick in the eye.
July 29th, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Licht was afraid to do what everyone knows needed to be done.
July 29th, 2026 at 8:25 pm
Looking forward to the article later this season where Todd says the team needs do some of the following things to be better and Joe, Ira, and this comment section loses their collective minds.
Execute
Accountability
Watch the tape
Didn’t make enough plays
Coach it better
Move on to next week
We’ve got to be better
July 29th, 2026 at 8:27 pm
Go ahead tampa, get rid of your best players and see where that gets ya. Been there seen that. Lost decade.
July 29th, 2026 at 8:39 pm
Let’s take off the rose colored glasses. This team is in a free fall and will crash by October. JL has failed. PERIOD. He lost ME. He lost JD. LVD needed to retire. He signed backups that might make it through the season, probably not. He’s ignored the CB room. The first half of the season will prove me right. JL and TB need to go.
July 29th, 2026 at 9:05 pm
Anyone else curious as to why all the problems before the season
Look at Evans exit – less money to a team who isn’t winning the SB this year
Evans was a Buc for life till last year
Baker worked his butt off Played hard Played injuried because his back up was the couch potato AND BUCS WONT PAY who else can they want ????
Now Vita ????
Think something is wrong at One Buc Place
July 29th, 2026 at 9:15 pm
When the core player on your D-line says “trade me”, that is a major distraction for the team. Will he or won’t he be there on day one of the regular season is a question most players will be asking. Licht should go ahead and trade him, get what he can for a disgruntled, unhappy player who has 2-3 years left in the league and obviously wants to play for a team that can and will pay him, and that gives him a chance for some playoff money.
Get what you can for him in a trade and start the season without this big question mark hanging over the team.
July 29th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
Bucs need Vea to go deep in playoffs this year
July 29th, 2026 at 9:38 pm
Vea doesn’t deserve an extension. Only stalwarts that have proven themselves like McCollum and Bowles, who have clearly shown they’re elite in their respective roles deserve early extensions.
July 29th, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Bowles will not use it as an excuse unless the Bucs are 1-3 going into the Thursday night game in Dallas and then he might throw Vea under the bus to cover for his ineptitude as this time around he cannot blam Josh Grizzard. It seems like there is a disconnect at OBP and although I am not a Bowles fan, this may be not due to Todd. Jason Licht might be more than a bit responsible for this bad aura we all see, and it might not be Jason jst covering for himself, perhaps Jason is just following Team Glazers orders and he has been told to go “Bidwell/Culverhouse” in contract negotiations. Perhaps the Glazers are hedging their bets against Bowles, so if the team does lose 9+ games again, they will not have big contracts hanging over the team as they bring in a new coaching staff…….
July 29th, 2026 at 10:00 pm
As soon as the Bucs win their 10th game, a lot of people here will change their names…..aGAIN
July 29th, 2026 at 10:20 pm
I got bets on what Todd says after week 1.
A. Too many missed tackles, B. penalties and those mental lapses hurt us C.Its not the scheme the players simply didn’t do their jobs correctly. D. Guys need to hold each other accountable. E. It’s inexcusable / No excuses there is no justification F. nobody should be looking for a crutch or an excuse
Or Above all.
July 29th, 2026 at 11:12 pm
Who are these weak minded idiots that think someone standing on the sidelines is a distraction that makes it impossible for everyone else to do their jobs?
Talk about a cupcake mentality.
July 30th, 2026 at 12:23 am
The distraction talk is silly. But just to recap how things are going heading into a new season:
Our best WR and future HOFer Mike Evans is gone
Our best RB from last year Rachaad White is gone
Our best CB Jamel Dean is gone
Dean’s replacement, Benjamin Morrison, is already injured
Our beast of a DT Vita Vea wants to be gone
Our beast of a LT and future HOFer Tristan Wirfs is injured
Oh and the 2nd best LB in franchise history Lavonte David is also gone
Thank God we have Todd Bowles and some rookies though! 4-13 here we come baby.
July 30th, 2026 at 4:37 am
@ Rod Munch Says: “Who are these weak minded idiots that think someone standing on the sidelines is a distraction that makes it impossible for everyone else to do their jobs? Talk about a cupcake mentality.”
ModHairKen. Who always has THE WORST TAKES. Never in REALITY. I was seriously, just thinking the exact same thing… That, literally NO ONE, is sitting there and thinking about ANY OF THAT. The dude hasn’t even the FIRST CLUE. Every single on of these guys, FULLY comprehend that THIS IS A BUSINESS. 💯
July 30th, 2026 at 6:17 am
Don’t know about anyone else, but if my back is tweaked, I am not going to be standing on the sideline in the hot sun much less holding a blocking dummy while another fat boy plows into it.