The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can finally turn the page on a tense month with Vita Vea. After the contract standoff ended in a new extension, the focus shifted back to football - and for Vea, that meant making sure one thing was clear about Todd Bowles.
On Thursday, Vea addressed the chatter around Bowles, pushing back on the negative narrative some have attached to the head coach. He said the team stands behind Bowles, and that the responsibility falls on the players when things go sideways.
“I want to set the record straight. We all love Bowles,” Vea said, according to Brianna Dix.
“It is not what he is doing. He is telling us what to do and giving us all the answers to the test, and it is on us players to be able to go out there and execute what he is telling us to do.
He is always putting us into the best position to play…If anything, blame us players for not executing. Bowles puts us into the best position to play.
I even told Bowles, ‘The day you retire is the day I retire.’”
That public show of support comes after a rocky stretch for both sides. Vea had requested a trade during the contract talks, but the Buccaneers and the two-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle have now settled on a one-year extension worth $30 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter added that Vea is getting $6 million in new money this season.
“ESPN sources: Two-time Pro-Bowl DT Vita Vea and the Buccaneers reached agreement today on a one-year extension for $30 million, tying him to Tampa Bay for two more seasons,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He gets $6 million in new money this season.”
With that business handled, Tampa Bay heads toward its Sept. 13 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals with Vea back in the fold and Bowles hearing direct support from one of his top players.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfields Preseason Debut Comes With One Troubling Bucs Question
Baker Mayfield is set for his first preseason snaps of 2024 when the Buccaneers host the Chiefs, giving Tampa Bay a chance to get its starting quarterback into game speed before the real pressure starts. The bigger storyline, though, is on the edge of the line, where Tristan Wirfs is unlikely to go because of a hamstring injury, leaving the team to sort through its left tackle options on the fly.
Justin Skule and Benjamin Chukwuma are both in the mix to fill that spot, but their availability has been uncertain after recent practice absences, which complicates the picture even more. With that kind of instability protecting Mayfields blind side, Tampa Bay may choose to keep his preseason workload short and limit the exposure rather than risk a costly hit in August. [Read more 🡒]
Vita Vea Just Sent A Clear Message About Todd Bowles
The Buccaneers locked up Vita Vea with a contract extension, keeping one of the most important pieces of the interior defensive line in place as the team continues to shape its identity under Todd Bowles. It also gave Vea a chance to speak with the kind of authority that comes from being a franchise cornerstone, and he did not waste it when the conversation turned to the coach.
Amid the criticism that followed Tampa Bays late-season slide in 2025, Vea came to Bowles defense and said the staff had the team prepared. He made clear the issue, in his view, was not the game plan but the way the Buccaneers executed it on the field, a public show of support that says plenty about where at least one veteran stands as the organization sorts through the fallout. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Fitzgerald Faces The Pressure Panthers Fans Will Be Watching
Vita Vea was back on the Buccaneers injury report Thursday as he continued working through a back issue, a reminder that Tampa Bay still has a few moving parts to sort out before the real ramp-up begins. The veteran defensive tackle is expected back next week for the joint practices in Jacksonville, and he has also made it clear he wants to stay in Tampa Bay while standing firmly behind head coach Todd Bowles.
Across the division, Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald is dealing with a different kind of test. He is not battling for the starting job, but he is still battling the pressure that comes with being the one everyone watches, and special teams coordinator has pointed to Fitzgeralds growth and preparation this offseason. For Tampa Bay, it is one more familiar NFC South subplot to keep an eye on, especially when a specialists confidence can become part of the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]