Defiant Tampa Bay star ready to force trade as Buccaneers haunted by $171m training camp contract stand-off

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed into training camp with two key pieces feeling short-changed.

Both starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea are in the final year of their contracts.

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Both think they deserve an extension. And both are probably right.

Mayfield set a firm deadline of the start of camp and will play out his three-year, £100million contract after turning down a ‘disrespectful’ two-year extension.

Vea has officially requested a trade after failing to get a deal over the line and is holding in having turned up to the facility but failed to suit up.

His agent Collin Roberts told the Tampa Bay Times that he “doesn’t see it ending in anything but a trade”, but the Bucs front office has no intention of letting him go.

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“I have no plans on trading Vita,” Jason Licht said Thursday. “We love Vita.

“We’ve been engaged with his agent recently. I don’t know how it’s gonna end, but we’ve been engaged and that’s at least some progress.”

Vea has taken part in off-field sessions and used his experience to help coach teammates.

The Bucs’ first-round pick in 2018 tweaked his back during conditioning tests, but Licht is hopeful of getting him back in action.

“That’s what the hope is, and that’s what we’re trying to resolve right now,” he added when asked if he was confident of Vea playing in 2026.

Licht admitted that enquiries had been made, but insisted that was normal during preseason.

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Baker Mayfield shrugs off bitter disappointment

Mayfield was upset at being offered a two-year deal as he looked to secure his long-term future with a team he led to back-to-back divisional titles before playing hurt in 2025.

“I’m not going to get into specifics about the contract and all that stuff, but yeah — we do think he is [a franchise quarterback],” said Licht.

“We love Baker. Baker’s in a great place right now. We’re in a very good place.”

Mayfield is keen to focus on playing, but the door has been left open if the former No. 1 pick wants to resume talks and there are no hard feelings about his QB going public with his frustration.

“Baker, as we all know here, is a very fiery competitor that’s not afraid to speak his mind,” Licht said. “I’m sure — I know he’s disappointed, frustrated. We were too.

“But like I said, he is, we’re in a good place. He’s focused on having the best year of his career.

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“I understand players wanting extensions and I totally understand that, but sometimes you just don’t see eye to eye on certain things.

“And that’s just the way negotiations go. But I have the utmost respect for both of these players. And like I said, it’s been very good. The relationship has been very good.”