Buccaneers GM Jason Licht Says Vita Vea Talks Show “Progress” Amid Trade Request

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Vita Vea still don’t have a deal. But according to general manager Jason Licht, they’re at least talking.

Vea, one of the most productive interior defensive linemen in franchise history, requested a trade from the Buccaneers shortly after training camp opened, following an offseason in which he and the team couldn’t agree on a new contract. He hasn’t practiced since. Head coach Todd Bowles has attributed his absence to a back injury, though the timing has fueled speculation about a holdout tied to the money dispute.

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Licht addressed pointed comments from Vea’s agent, Collin Roberts, who told the Tampa Bay Times on Aug. 5 that he doesn’t see this situation ending in anything but a trade. Licht pushed back on that certainty, but he didn’t pretend the issue is close to solved, either.

“We love Vita,” Licht said Thursday. “We’ve been engaged with his agent recently. I don’t know how it’s going to end. But we’ve been engaged, and that’s at least some progress.”

ESPN’s Jenna Laine, who asked Licht directly about Roberts’ trade comments, posted the exchange on X: “I asked Bucs GM Jason Licht specifically about Vita Vea’s agent’s comments saying he doesn’t see this ending any other way but a trade. Licht said, ‘I don’t know how it’s gonna end’ but that they’re actively communicating. ‘That’s at least some progress,’ he said.” —

I asked Bucs GM Jason Licht specifically about Vita Vea’s agent’s comments saying he doesn’t see this ending any other way but a trade. Licht said, “I don’t know how it’s gonna end” but that they’re actively communicating. “That’s at least some progress,” he said. pic.twitter.com/q02WX6y7GJ

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) August 6, 2026

Elsewhere at the same press conference, Licht was more direct about his intentions. He told reporters, “I have no plans of trading Vita”, adding that he considers Vea one of the better defensive linemen in franchise history.

Why the Buccaneers are holding firm

Vea is 31 and entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million extension he signed in 2022. He’s due roughly $18 million in 2026, with a cap hit north of $22 million, according to Pro Football Rumors. That number puts him outside the top tier of paid defensive tackles league-wide, which is the root of the dispute — Vea wants a deal that reflects where the market has moved since he last signed.

Tampa Bay isn’t rushing to move him. Part of that is scheme fit: Vea anchors the nose of Todd Bowles’ defensive front, and there’s no readily available replacement on the roster who can eat blocks the way he does. Part of it is leverage. Trading a disgruntled 31-year-old with recent injury history rarely brings back full value, and rival teams know that. League sources have described real interest in a possible deal, but nothing has materialized into an offer serious enough to change Tampa Bay’s calculus.

The dispute echoes a separate, still-unresolved situation with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who also sought a new contract before camp and cut off talks when a deadline passed. Between the two, the Buccaneers have absorbed a rough opening stretch of camp at their AdventHealth Training Center facility, with reporters and fans alike pressing Licht at every turn on how the front office plans to keep its core together.

Vea’s case for a new deal

The numbers back up why Vea believes he’s underpaid. Since Tampa Bay drafted him 12th overall out of Washington in 2018, he’s built a resume that includes a Super Bowl LV ring, two Pro Bowl selections and a reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive run-stuffers at his size. Last season, he played all 17 games and finished with 34 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks and a fumble recovery — production that, paired with his run defense, still grades among the better interior linemen in the NFL.

For now, the standoff remains unresolved. Licht’s comments suggest the Buccaneers would rather work out an extension than field trade calls, but with Vea still off the practice field and his agent publicly skeptical, there’s no indication a resolution is close.