Former Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea may be headed for a new chapter in the NFL.
According to a report posted to "X" from NFL insider Adam Schefter, Vea is seeking a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the only pro team he has played for since being drafted 12th overall in 2018.
That would mark a major shift for a player who has been one of Tampa Bay’s steady anchors for eight seasons. Vea has made two Pro Bowls, in 2021 and 2024, and was part of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl 50 win in 2021, when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
His résumé in Tampa is long and productive. Vea has appeared in 112 games and started 107, piling up 256 total tackles, including 154 solo stops.
He has added 48 tackles for loss, 35 sacks, nine passes defended, nine safeties, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He has also caught a touchdown pass.
Vea is currently in the final year of a four-year, $71 million contract, though his deal includes a void clause that could allow him to re-sign for a fifth year.
Before his NFL career took off, Vea built a decorated run at Washington. He played for the Huskies from 2014-17, redshirting his first year after enrolling late in the fall.
Over his three full seasons on Montlake, Vea played in 37 games and recorded 99 total tackles, with 65 solo stops, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five passes defended and two forced fumbles.
He finished his college career with major honors in back-to-back seasons. Vea was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2016, then earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition in 2017.
That same year, he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and won the conference’s Morris Trophy, given to the best offensive and defensive lineman in the Pac-12. Vea was the seventh defensive lineman to win the award.
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