Bucs: Vita Vea back at practice, watch out Aaron Rodgers

The Buccaneer defense looks a whole lot scarier with Vita Vea back.

If Aaron Rodgers struggled against the Buccaneers in the first game, his life is going to get a whole lot worse if Vita Vea suits up for the game on Sunday. Vea’s 350-pound frame and shocking speed are hard to miss.

Tampa Bay handed Rodgers one of the worst personal losses of his career in a massive comeback victory at home earlier in the season. With a rematch slated for the NFC Championship, that game is getting a more in-depth look from analysts, but Vea still impacts that game if healthy.

According to Rick Stroud, the Buccaneers designated Vea for return from IR, and today marked Vea’s first practice since his potentially season-ending injury during the regular season.

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Vea has recovered quickly, but that surprised very few people in Tampa. The Buccaneer first-round pick from 2018 has been one of the most underrated picks from a solid defensive class, but Vea has still made a name for himself in his own right. The Buccaneers absolutely made the right decision in taking the monstrous defensive tackle, and his individual accolades could start rolling in soon.

Before his injury this season, Vea was in a great position to earn his first All-Pro or Pro Bowl selection. The injury may slow him down on this front for a short time, but it’s not going to keep Vea from helping his team when possible.

While Vea is back and practicing now, that does not mean he will assuredly suit up this weekend. The Buccaneers will need to be extremely safe in their usage of Vea, and putting him at risk of a greater injury by playing him too soon is dangerous for the future of the defensive line.

If Vea is practicing now, the odds are that he will at least get some reps this weekend, but Rakeem Nunez-Roches should remain the starter based on recent play. The Bucs won’t want to make any dramatic changes as of now, but Vea in a limited role would still help put pressure on Rodgers.

The Buccaneers still have three full days to evaluate Vea and make sure that he is healthy enough to participate, but if he can, Vea should change the entire game plan for the depleted Packer offensive line, and the pressure on Aaron Rodgers only goes up.

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