Buccaneers sent the right message to Vita Vea and his teammates are thrilled

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the contract standoff with Vita Vea on Wednesday. It was long overdue, and ended the potential for a very bad look on Jason Licht. Vea banked on himself by requesting a trade. He put the pressure on the Buccaneers, and he made it public.

All of that, however, could have been avoided. It was unnecessary. Licht and the Bucs are doing the same thing with Baker Mayfield, but eventually, something will likely get done. Vea just proved that.

In the immediate hours after the news broke on Wednesday afternoon, fans were applauding, but inside the facility, Vea's own teammates were celebrating as well. They took to social media to express their enthusiasm.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers give players a reason to believe the team will take care of them with Vita Vea deal

Vea has been "injured" for most of training camp. He showed up on time despite the contract and immediately got hurt, sort of. It's widely considered a "hold-in" that will also likely come to an abrupt end. Legendary Bucs defender Gerald McCoy posted it perfectly.

Inside the building, things started to relax a bit too. The defense needs Vea on the field. They are better with him. So far, this camp's new LB, Alex Anzalone, has yet to run plays with Vea on the line. Rookie Rueben Bain, Jr., has yet to do a single rep beside the long-tenured veteran.

Anzalone also took to responding to the announcement on the platform, "X."

One player who is also thrilled to see Vea back is fellow defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. The 2023 first-round pick is entering a critical year of his own financially. Kancey is entering the 4th year of his rookie contract.

Kancey's 5th-year option was picked up, but while the Buccaneers now essentially have two seasons to work with, a big statement season this year could give Licht a reason to address the issue next offseason and avoid dealing with a deal prior to the start of the 2028 season. Kancey also expressed his thoughts on the deal.

The contract will take Vea through his 10th NFL season. It's possible the Buccaneers could do similar contracts in the future that extend from year to year. Regardless, the Buccaneers are in an interesting position with their team. They are not necessarily built to "win now" but there is growing concern for the future of Todd Bowles.

Vea is a key component of the current roster. The Buccaneers believe they can run deeper in the playoffs over the next two seasons, but another miss like last year could force Tampa into a soft rebuild.

For now, though, the vibes are high in Tampa Bay after the front office took care of one of their core players.

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