Super Bowl winner makes unexpected retirement pledge hours after $30m deal u-turn
Vita Vea has announced what it will take for him to retire after ending a contract dispute that threatened his Tampa Bay future.
On Wednesday, Vea and the Buccaneers agreed to a one-year, $30 million extension, ending an offseason stand off that included a trade request from the Super Bowl champion.
It’s a big sigh of relief for the Buccaneers, and head coach Todd Bowles in particular who keeps the defensive tackle in Tampa Bay through the 2027 season.
The 30-year-old, whose trade request prompted interest around the league, wasn’t participating in training camp, but was there in person to avoid fines, while negotiations were taking place.
Now with the ink dry, and a ‘hold-in’ over, Vea is back speaking to reporters, where he made a surprising omission about his retirement.
“The day [Todd Bowles] retires, I retire,” Vea told BucsGameday Editor River Wells.
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“I want to set the record straight. There’s a lot of talk on Bowles. We love Bowles, he gives us all the answers to the test, we just need to execute.”
Todd Bowles enters the 2026 season on one of the hottest seats in the NFL.
While he led the Buccaneers to three consecutive NFC South titles from 2022 to 2024, last season proved to be a disaster as the Bucs imploded.
After jumping out to a dominant 6-2 start, they lost seven of their final nine games.
Finishing 8-9 caused them to relinquish the division crown and miss the playoffs entirely.
Despite this, Bowles has kept his job, and Vea wants him to know that he has his full support, despite the offseason drama.
Vea is set ramp up next week ahead of the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
How long has Vita Vea played for the Bucs?
The Bucs selected Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has quickly become one of the most consistent interior defensive linemen in the league.
He has been named to the Pro Bowl twice and was instrumental in the Buccaneers Super Bowl LV win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Vea hasn’t shown any signs of real decline, suiting up in all 17 games last year posting 4.5 sacks and 34 tackles.
While the front office locked up their defensive cornerstone, the situation under center remains far more volatile.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield turned down a ‘disrespectful’ two-year extension and will play out the final year of his three-year, $100 million deal.
If Mayfield and the offense deliver early, it could save Bowles’ job and force the Bucs to write a massive check in the spring.
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