Vita Vea Wouldn’t Acknowledge He Asked For A Trade
August 20th, 2026
A sect of Bucs fans was angered that newly re-signed Vita Vea asked to be traded.
Those were the reports and the Bucs did not refute them publicly, or privately to Joe’s knowledge.
But that doesn’t mean the report was true, or whether it was from Vea’s perspective. So Joe asked the Bucs’ manbeast defensive tackle to clarify today while Vea held a news conference celebrating his new Bucs contract extension.
JoeBucsFan.com: It was reported Vita that asked for a trade. Was that report accurate?
Vita Vea: Uhhh, I don’t know. It’s all behind us now.
Another reporter then chimed in to Vea, “Just part of the business.”
Vea responded: “Just all part of the business. I got drafted here. I made Tampa my home. Love it here. The guys on the team are like brothers to me. We look at each other as family; so i didn’t want to leave that behind and switch teams, get traded. So that was never the end goal for me. I always wanted to be here.”
Joe’s glad to hear Vea never wanted to leave Tampa, and that at least part of him might be a little embarrased to acknowledge he requested a trade.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Squeaky wheel gets the oil….and sometimes you have to be a little loud, lol (and of course thats if its worth it)
August 20th, 2026 at 11:28 am
Stuff happens during a negotiation-let it go and move on.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:33 am
100% his agent who I still wouldn’t hesitate to kick square in the ass with a sideways foot. Don’t play with us like that.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:35 am
Basically, there are no “extensions” per se, Mike Florio explained it in detail…..so basically Vita Vea is playing on a new one-year contract for $30 million for the current season…….so, it’s basically prove that you can make it through an entire season before getting anything that looks like Multi-year
August 20th, 2026 at 11:37 am
@thomas, he gets 6 mill added to this year, the rest next year…..why are you missing that?
August 20th, 2026 at 11:39 am
If I were Vea’s agent I’d tell the press he’s heir to the throne of England if it got my client paid better. That’s the job and he accomplished what he set out to do.
Trey Hendrickson wishes he had Vea’s agent after going through (and failing) at nearly the identical situation last year.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:45 am
He was negotiating, it worked. Glad he’ll be clogging up the middle for us on game days.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:46 am
Squeaky wheel gets the grease, but sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced by one that doesn’t squeak. Worked this time though.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Me and a few others here were using our highly intellectual rocket surgery brains, and were also in that ballpark area of 2 years, 22 to 26…..lucky us, we missed our calling of being an overpaid negotiator LOL.
August 20th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Thomas Edrington … ‘so basically Vita Vea is playing on a new one-year contract for $30 million for the current season’.
MadMax answered it, but just for grins here’s what Spotrac reports …
‘Vita Vea signed a 1 year, $30,000,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including $30,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $30,000,000. In 2026, Vea will earn a base salary of $17,000,000, while carrying a cap hit of $22,194,460.’
Notice that his 2026 CAP hit is between $5-$6 mil MORE this season than his pay. What Spotrac doesn’t mention, but some other reports have included, is that Vea will ostensibly get $6 mil of that $30 mil this year. So for this year and next year, his salary averages out to $24 mil each year. That’s probably his realistic worth on the open market for 2026 & 2027. Both sides saved face.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Ian Beckles was on WDAE this morning and said something to the effect of “Don’t believe everything that makes it into the Media,” and said that he was once told by his own agent “Don’t believe what you see in the papers tomorrow.” The next day, a story ran that several teams had called and were interested in signing him.
If I’m reading between the correct lines from Ian’s story, it seems possible (if not probable) that the trade request/demand and stories about interested trade suiters was his agent ramping up the pressure to get the deal done.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
I guess suh’s advice to vita was spot on. He knew VV’s worth. Now, it’s time to cut players who are not delivering.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
Anyone made because he wanted to get paid can go to the bad place. These guys suffer incredible injuries. Some to the brain. Many to joints.
And they have a short career.
So good for Vita Vea. Get that money!
BTW, Vea should definitely join WWE when he is done with the NFL.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
“BTW, Vea should definitely join WWE when he is done with the NFL.”
Pair him up with Solo Sikoa and it’d be pure comedy
August 20th, 2026 at 12:40 pm
He’s only embarrassed, because he was exposed. You can’t believe anything these guys say. People only believe what they WANT TO believe. When, it’s mostly ALL BS. Just Coach Speak, or saying the ‘right’ things at the ‘right’ times publicly, depending on who they THINK is listening.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:41 pm
It is all negotiation…. I don’t know why fans on here would get their panties in a wad over this…. Players and Agents have to use the trade card, the hold out card, the hold in card etc…Don’t hate the player hate the CBA that has led to this mess. BTW, the money is always there for people they want to keep, you just have to be creative.
Joe was right to ask, now it is time to put it behind and move forward. Vita Vea is a Buc, guess what Mike Evans isn’t so let’s celebrate and speak about what they have, not what they don’t have.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
I love our Somoan Demi-God.
We have Wirfs and Vea.
I hope you guys can understand how blessed we are.
We literally have two of the largest athletes on this PLANET.
They are the most athletic men at 340 pounds ALIVE.
And we got them BOTH outside of the Top 10?
It’s a good day Tampa Bay!
Go Bucs!!!
August 20th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
He remains….Oh what a surpize. Enough of the pre season drama. 2-4 start coming up.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:45 pm
He got a ‘bag’
August 20th, 2026 at 12:45 pm
only baker fans though he really wanted to be traded lol…
Lets get to work big fella!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
August 20th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Either way, when they are sitting at 3-5 and nearing the trade-deadline, they have to ship him out.
August 20th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
So he threw a tantrum to get what he wanted
August 20th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
Of course, teams are going to stand their ground and force older aging players to have to work for it. I think the BUCS definitely WON here, 💯. They got him on a short term little extension at a fair market price, where they can still move him before the trade-deadline, if need be. And, you had all the same ones, who were freaking PANICKING, “PAY HIM NOW, Give Him 3, 4-YEARS, WHATEVER IT TAKES, What Are We DOING, Ohhh, Noooo.” Lmao… Who are all now, wanting to act all calm, as if it was ever even a question, and no big deal. LoL. I’m just glad that non of you are our GM. Now, I will give LICKT THAT. Hahah
August 20th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Just like the first go around with the Baker Extension from a couple of year ago, and MANY other examples. Yep. So glad they are NOT our GM. And, we’d be locked in EVEN DEEPER to Baker, for the next 5-6 YEARS, and another $200-$300-MILLION fully guaranteed. SHEW.
August 20th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
^ Its called what he deserves, get it right slow brain.
August 20th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
Let’s clear this up…
Greg Auman detailed this as well…
It’s a 1 year EXTENSION for Vea to the existing contract for this year for $30 million….
6 mill added to this years contract of $18 mill for total of $24 mill…
Next year for 2027 it is also $24 mill..
Both years fully guaranteed…
So IN TOTAL he now has 2 years for $48 mill fully guaranteed..
August 20th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
contract sounds good…greenberg knows how to do it…
and vita should be a happy camper…after all, inflation is not a factor in his life…………….at all
August 20th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Objection! Hearsay! None of us ever heard Vea say that he wanted to be traded. We heard reports that Vea’s agent said Vea wanted to be traded.
August 20th, 2026 at 2:20 pm
Yep, Todd Bowles as a HC\DC puts his players in the best position to win.
8 games last year to be exact, and out of four playoff games in his tenure he has one win to be exact. Superbly excellent.
All that winning in such a tough division. It really is a miracle. We’re just so lucky.
Break out the Pom Poms and turn up the volume on the Polly positive speak.
Hoorah shish boom bah go Todd!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡
August 20th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
4 playoff games in Bowles tenure as head coach. If they played in a tougher division, they may not have had the opportunity to play in even one. That certainly could have been the case. All that proves, however, is that the Bucs have not been a very good team to this point in Bowles tenure. That doesn’t mean he’s a horrible coach, he’s just never had enough horses!
August 20th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
Teacherman, spot on my man! Those two dudes are monsters, both have super strength and super athletic for their sizes! Wirfs could be the freakiest dude in the league, and I mean that in a good way obviously.
August 20th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
Pouted himself out of half of training camp and was rewarded for it. Hope he’s rested to return kicks and cover slot receivers on third downs this fall.
August 20th, 2026 at 4:25 pm
When the Big Guy looks around at all the new pieces that are around him this year, ain’t, no way he wanted to leave here!