Ndamukong Suh calls out Buccaneers after Vita Vea's trade request

Vita Vea requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just days before training camp, adding more contract drama to the mix as the team also remains in a standoff with Baker Mayfield. 

Vea has been a cornerstone member of the Bucs’ defense, and his impact has been undeniable. Tampa Bay has fielded the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense since Vea became a full-time starter in 2019, and has finished in the top five against the run in six of his eight seasons. 

Despite the production, Vea is currently just the 19th-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, and feels he’s being undervalued. He held in during OTAs in search of a contract extension, but negotiations have stalled, ultimately leading to this surprising trade request. 

Ndamukong Suh blasts Buccaneers upon Vita Vea's trade request 

Following the news, former Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who won a Super Bowl playing next to Vea in Tampa Bay, didn’t hold back when weighing in on the situation. 

“Why wait until the last minute? To me it’s very, very odd… if this is a cornerstone of your organization, somebody that’s helped you win a championship, multiple Pro Bowls, and still has an opportunity to play at a very very high level for your organization, if you value them, you tell them that,” Suh said in a video posted to his X account. 

“Who in their right mind would go to a job and have no guarantee of what their salary is going to be. To me that’s—I’m not going to go work out for free and play for free.”

Suh’s comments seem to ignore one important detail: Vea is far from playing for free. While the star defensive tackle has a strong case for a raise that would pay him among the top-10 defensive tackles, he’s still set to earn a $17 million salary in 2026. That’s far from “playing for free” and it comes off a bit out of touch.

The Buccaneers would likely have no issue giving Vea a raise for the upcoming season, but the underlying issue seems to be the length of the commitment. Vea doesn’t just want more money in 2026, he wants a long-term extension. 

Entering his age-31 season, anything long-term at his estimated price tag is a massive risk for the Buccaneers. 

At the same time, Vea’s importance to the team for the 2026 season can’t be overstated. The Buccaneers still hold all the leverage to simply decline the trade request and give Vea essentially no choice but to play out the final year of his deal. The ideal outcome for both sides is to find common ground on a deal that rewards one of Tampa Bay’s best players in the short term without hurting the organization in the long term. 

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