TAMPA BAY — Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Vita Vea agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, keeping one of the NFL’s most dominant interior defenders in Tampa through at least the 2027 season.
“Vita is exactly the type of player and person we want to build around in Tampa Bay,” General Manager Jason Licht said. “He has been a dominant force in the middle of our defense, an exceptional teammate, and a tremendous leader in our locker room.”
Vea had been heading into the final year of the four-year deal he signed in January of 2022. The 12th-overall selection in the 2018 draft has played in 112 games with 107 starts over eight seasons, recording 256 tackles, 35.0 sacks, 48 tackles for loss, 79 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed. His 35 sacks rank eighth in franchise history.
Vea earned Pro Bowl selections following the 2021 and 2024 campaigns. Last season he played a career-high 763 snaps while contributing 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He has been voted a team captain by his teammates in each of the last four seasons and has helped the Buccaneers make five playoff appearances, capture four division titles and win a Super Bowl over the past six years. He has also anchored a Buccaneers run defense that has allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL since the 2019 season.
“One of the keys to our recent success has been our ability to draft, develop and re-sign core, foundational players who set the standard for what it means to be a Buccaneer,” Licht said. “As one of our team leaders, Vita has played a big role in establishing that winning culture, and we are excited to have him continuing to help lead the way as we pursue our next championship.”
The extension continues a pattern of the Buccaneers retaining homegrown talent. A year ago, tackle Luke Goedeke and cornerback Zyon McCollum received new long-term deals just prior to the start of the regular season. Other recent re-signings include Chris Godwin Jr., Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wirfs and Cade Otton.
Vea and the Buccaneers are preparing for the start of the regular season, where Tampa Bay will look to build on its run of four division titles in the past six years.