The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter 2026 with two unwanted distractions with superstars on the roster.
Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea couldn’t agree on extensions with the franchise and have made their disappointment clear: Mayfield isn’t holding back in interviews, while Vea asked to be traded to a new team.
GM Jason Licht is painfully aware of the implications of losing two of his top players, but there’s still time for Tampa Bay to get ahead of the situation.
Jason Licht Defines Relationships With Players During Negotiations As “Challenging”
The Buccaneers didn’t have a happy ending to 2025. After a fantastic start to the season with a 6-2 record and the offense playing extremely well, a long list of injuries derailed their year, which ended 8-9 and with the first year away from the playoffs since the 2019 season.
They lost Mike Evans in free agency, and with Mayfield and Vea entering the final year of their respective deals, more changes could be on the horizon. Discussions with both players stalled before training camp began, and a resolution appears unlikely as September approaches.
General manager Jason Licht isn’t shying away from responsibility, and in a recent appearance on the “Inside Football” podcast, he spoke about his team’s current situation.
Licht explained that, as the business side becomes tougher, he tries to maintain a healthy relationship with his players, but it isn’t always easy.
Licht to Steve Keim on the “Inside Football” podcast, about his relationship with Vita Vea amid a contract dispute: “You try to just be up front, maintain the relationship as best you can. Sometimes it’s a little challenging.”
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 3, 2026
Discussing contract extensions with two key players at the same time is a headache, and in Vea’s case, he knows the franchise will prioritize a deal with Mayfield, which could mean a new home for him. Although Mayfield has made his unhappiness clear, he will play out the final year of his deal.
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Vea was a first-round pick in the 2018 draft and became a mainstay on the team ever since. However, he’s now 31.
He is looking for what could potentially be the final big deal of his career, but Tampa Bay might be justified in not wanting to pay a premium for a player who has been on the decline: in 2025, he was ranked as No. 25 in the PFN DT Impact Metric with a 78.6 grade.
Trade requests don’t always materialize in a move. They are also a negotiating tactic that could put more pressure on the Buccaneers to find middle ground with Vea.
Still, for a team that aims to regain control of the NFC South, distractions involving two superstars during training camp are the worst possible way to begin the season.
