The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered a pivotal offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Unfortunately, some of their choices have been eyebrow-raising and created some drama entering the season.
With no contract extension for Baker Mayfield grabbing the headlines, the story of Vita Vea has flown under the radar.
The star defensive tackle is one of their best and most important defenders, and he recently demanded a trade after the two sides couldn’t agree to a new deal. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles remains unbothered by the situation… for now.
Todd Bowles Unconcerned by Vita Vea’s Trade Request
Bowles took over as the Buccaneers’ head coach ahead of the 2022 season. He coached Tom Brady during his final NFL season, and then led the post-Brady transition as the organization handed the keys to Baker Mayfield.
The Buccaneers won the NFC South in each of their first three seasons with Bowles at the helm, but then the team missed the playoffs entirely last year. After going 8-9 and with a lot of the struggles coming on the defensive end, a lot of the blame fell on Bowles.
Bowles is considered a defensive mastermind, as he was a longtime defensive coordinator and designed the gameplan that shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Bucs’ victory in Super Bowl 55. Last year, the Bucs finished at No. 18 in PFN’s Defense Impact Score. But the situation could get much worse without Vea, who already has two Pro Bowl appearances to his name and played in all 17 games in 2025.
Bowles has built the defensive line around Vea, who has been a crucial piece. The Bucs added Rueben Bain Jr., Al-Quadin Muhammad, and A’Shawn Robinson this offseason, plus they got Calijah Kancey and David Walker back healthy, so there’s a lot of excitement about the line if they are at full strength. If Vea sits out, that would be a huge blow.
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When asked directly about Vea’s trade demand, Bowles remained unmoved.
“Again, it’s still early,” Bowles told reporters. “We’ve only been in pads for two days. We’re not concerned at this point and I think those things take care of themselves. Once you get past two or three preseason games, you start to worry a little bit.”
It remains to be seen how long Vea will hold-in, but this situation will only get more concerning the longer he sits out, as Bowles mentioned.
After missing the playoffs last season, this offseason hasn’t assuaged a lot of the fears that their fan base has had.
From losing a franchise icon in Mike Evans to the retirement of Lavonte David to the contract disputes that continue to plague them with Mayfield and Vea, this hasn’t been the easiest summer for the Buccaneers.
