Todd Bowles just added fuel to the Buccaneers’ Vita Vea contract dispute

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to be at an impasse with star defensive tackle Vita Vea.

Vea still has one year left on his current deal, but he’s seeking a contract extension. With the Buccaneers unwilling to meet his demands, Vea requested a trade out of Tampa Bay. 

Nobody is doubting Vea’s importance as the centerpiece of the defense — but Todd Bowles just suggested the Buccaneers can survive without him. 

Todd Bowles is wrong: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need Vita Vea

Bowles spoke to the media after practice on Thursday, and Vea’s ongoing hold-in was unsurprisingly a topic of discussion.

“We can play without him; that’s not a big deal. You don’t want to play without him, but we can play without him,” Bowles said, via Logan Robinson of BucsGameday. 

There is an obvious element of coach speak behind Bowles’ comments. He isn’t going to come out amid negotiations and say the team can’t survive without Vea, giving him leverage. 

Still, it’s a bold stance to take about the most important player on your defense. Bowles’ scheme is built around Vea, who is the anchor and quite literally the centerpiece of everything the Bucs do defensively. 

Tampa Bay has finished with a top-five rushing defense in six of Vea’s eight pro seasons. Since he became a full-time starter in 2019, the Bucs have fielded the NFL’s best run defense. In addition to being a stout run defender, Vea also offers rare upside as a pass rusher from the nose tackle spot. 

His 17 sacks over the last three seasons are more than Devonte Wyatt and Jalen Carter have recorded in that span. Both earned massive extensions from their teams this offseason that put them ahead of Vea from an earnings standpoint. 

Vea also does things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, like consistently taking on double teams and creating opportunities for his teammates to make plays. 

Whether it would be a wise move to commit to Vea on a long-term deal beyond 2026 is up for debate. He’s entering his age-31 season, and it would be a risk for the Buccaneers to tie themselves to him on a multi-year deal with his projected annual value hovering around $24 million. 

But for the 2026 season, the Buccaneers absolutely need Vea. Tampa Bay completely overhauled their defensive front this offseason and after years of being a weakness, it finally looks like a strength heading into the season. To lose Vea would offset the positive strides the roster has made and leave the Bucs reeling just a month before the season. 

Bowles may believe the Buccaneers can survive without Vea, but that’s a gamble they shouldn’t make. Losing Vea would be a huge blow to the Buccaneers defense, and if Tampa Bay wants to contend in 2026, they need to find a solution.

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