When it rains, it pours, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the midst of an all-out storm right now.
Vita Vea requested a trade out of Tampa Bay on Monday after contract extension talks failed to materialize. The veteran defensive tackle is currently the 14th-highest-paid player at his position in terms of total cash, and is looking for a well-deserved raise entering a contract year.
Now, the Philadelphia Eagles have added fuel on the fire by signing defensive tackle Jalen Carter to a four-year $152 extension with $106 guaranteed, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
Eagles’ Jalen Carter extension just made Vita Vea’s Buccaneers situation even more complicated
Vea was already unhappy with his current contract, and he just watched as a fellow defensive tackle signed a deal worth $38 million annually, completely resetting the defensive tackle market.
Carter is only 25 years old, so this doesn’t mean Vea will command anywhere near the same price tag on his next deal. However, it does tip the scale even more in Vea’s favor as he looks to secure a new contract from the Buccaneers.
Since Carter has entered the league, Vea has actually out-produced him in sacks and combined tackles, while the two are tied in tackles for loss.
Vea’s statistical production, combined with the value that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet — such as consistently facing double teams at an enormous rate — suggests that he’s worthy of a significant extension.
With 19 defensive tackles now making an average of at least $20 million per season, Vea has every right to seek a contract extension that reflects his value to Tampa Bay’s defense.
This was already a delicate situation for the Buccaneers, and Carter’s historic extension just gave Vea even more leverage and made the path forward even more complicated.
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