The Raiders may have been mentioned in the Vita Vea chatter, but they do not appear to be one of the teams actively poking around the Buccaneers’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said Friday on NFL Game Day that teams have reached out to Tampa Bay about Vea, yet he did not include Las Vegas among the clubs he named. Instead, Garafolo pointed to the Bills, Bears and 49ers as teams that have checked in.
“My understanding is there has been communication between [Vea and the Buccaneers],” Garafolo said on NFL Game Day on Friday.
“A deal is not imminent, teams have called the Buccaneers to see if they are interested in trading him, amongst them I’m told are the Bills, the Bears, the 49ers and there are a few others, as well. But the Buccaneers continue to say internally they are not trading Vita Vea.”
Garafolo also posted the update on X, saying teams have checked on Vea’s availability, including the Bills, Bears and 49ers, while Tampa Bay remains “steadfast they’re not trading him” and has “kept the lines of communication open on a potential new deal.”
That lines up with the reporting out of Tampa, which says the Buccaneers are not interested in moving him. It also adds some context to the Raiders’ place in this situation: they’ve been rumored as a possible fit, and Vea is believed to have them on his short list of teams he’d like to play for, but they were not listed by Garafolo as one of the teams to watch since Vea requested a trade last month.
There’s also the money side of this, and it’s a big one. Vea is a 31-year-old defensive lineman reportedly looking for a new deal that could rise above $30 million per year. For the Raiders, that kind of commitment would be a major swing, and it’s not hard to see why it might not line up with where they seem to be headed.
John Spytek and Tom Brady have obvious ties to the Buccaneers, but it’s difficult to picture Las Vegas trying to outbid a group of Super Bowl contenders for a player at that price. Based on what the Raiders have done over the last few months, they appear focused on the future, and a huge investment in Vea would not exactly match a timeline built around competing for a Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
If Vea does end up getting moved, the team to watch may be one chasing a title in 2026. That’s the kind of club that makes the most sense here.
The Bears and 49ers fit on paper, though both are in the NFC, and the Buccaneers might prefer to send Vea to an AFC team.
One last note on Vea: despite how dominant he has been, he has never been voted a first- or second-team All Pro. His top individual honors are two Pro Bowl selections, in 2021 and 2024.
In Other News...
Raiders Tackle Battle Just Took A Big Turn Under Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiaks first real look at the Raiders offensive line came with encouraging signs, as the group turned in a noticeably better outing in the recent game and gave the staff something to sort through as it evaluates the left side of the line. D.J. Glaze and Charles Grant were both part of that improvement, and their play drew strong marks from Pro Football Focus, a useful reminder that the competition for starting roles is far from settled.
Kolton Miller still figures to be a cornerstone up front even with the usual durability questions that come with any veteran tackle, but the larger picture is what Kubiak and the Raiders do with the depth behind him. The line has been a point of concern for stretches, and now the challenge is turning one encouraging performance into a clearer long-term answer, especially with multiple linemen still in the mix for a job that could shape the rest of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fan Scene Adds To A Reputation This Team Still Can't Shake
The scene at Allegiant Stadium served as another reminder that Raiders home games still come with their own brand of edge. During the preseason meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, one Las Vegas fan became confrontational in the stands and the situation escalated far enough for police to intervene and handcuff the fan, a jarring moment in a game that already had enough on-field frustration to go around.
Arizona left Las Vegas with a 27-14 win, but the bigger picture around the Raiders is still shifting after recent organizational changes, including the firing of head coach Pete Carroll and the drafting of quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Even in a preseason setting, the franchise's image remains tied to scenes like this one, the kind that keep reinforcing a reputation the team has spent years trying to move past. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Preseason Loss Exposed A Rebuild Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Raiders preseason meeting with the Cardinals gave first-year coach Klint Kubiak a useful look at where the roster is coming along and where it still needs work. There were some signs of progress in the loss, but the defensive backfield remains a clear concern because of how young and inexperienced that group is, and that kind of issue tends to show up quickly once the games start to matter.
Kubiak and his staff are still sorting through the secondary as the regular season gets closer, and the game offered another reminder that those evaluations are far from finished. With the defense still trying to take shape and the pass rush not making much noise in this one, the Raiders have a few areas that will need to improve fast if the early-season plan is going to hold together. [Read more 🡒]