GM Jason Licht says Bucs have 'no plans' to trade Pro Bowl DT Vita Vea

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 6, 2026

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Jason Licht said it as clearly as possible in case Vita Vea or any other NFL teams were listening.

“I have no plans on trading Vita,” the Bucs general manager said Thursday of the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, who has requested to be dealt.

“Vita is a great player. We all know Vita. I think he’s one of the better D-linemen in franchise history, and he’s a very important piece of this. ... We love Vita. 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.”

Licht’s optimism came one day after Vea’s agent, Collin Roberts, told the Tampa Bay Times, “I just don’t see it ending in anything but a trade at this point.”

Vea, 31, is in the final season of a four-year, $71 million contract extension he signed in 2022. It averages $17.75 million per year, which ranks 19th among defensive tackles in the NFL.

Vea has asked to be traded, Roberts said last Monday, and has not practiced since the Bucs say he sustained a minor back “tweak” during a team run when veterans reported last week.

Licht sounded even more confident in the Bucs’ relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who will play under the final year of his contract after the club failed to meet his deadline to reach an extension when veterans reported.

Licht was asked if he considers Mayfield a “franchise quarterback” and, if so, why the team only reportedly offered him a two-year extension.

“I’m not going to get into the specifics about the contract and all that stuff, but yeah, we do think he is, and we love Baker,” Licht said. “Our feelings for Baker haven’t changed.”

It’s been a tumultuous start to the season. Receiver Mike Evans signed with the 49ers as a free agent in March. Vea asked for a trade, and Mayfield shut down talks on a contract with a self-imposed deadline.

The Bucs have a good track record of re-signing players when their contracts expire, such as Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and receiver Chris Godwin.

“It’s a big puzzle,” Licht said. “I’ve said that a thousand times, it feels like.

“I give credit to my staff and the coaches. We have a lot of very good players who are either eligible or will be eligible soon for contract extensions, and we take a lot of pride in how we’ve done our best to keep our core together with extensions, keeping guys, putting them at the top or near the top, resetting the market with certain players that we’ve done in the past and also extensions with other players.

“You know, it’s a puzzle, and it’s challenging,” Licht continued. “Not every situation is going to work out the way you want it to. It can be frustrating for both the player and the team, but that’s just the way it goes. It’s just business.”

While it may be business to the Bucs, Mayfield took it personally, calling the team’s offer “disrespectful.”

“Baker is all ball,” Licht said. “He’s all focused on the season. I’m expecting him to have a great year. We respect the fact he had a timetable for it. On my end, I’ll always keep the door open on this situation. But he’s very, very focused. I’ve never seen him this focused.”

Was the Bucs organization disappointed in Mayfield’s statements?

“Baker, as we all know here, is a very fiery competitor who is not afraid to speak his mind,” Licht said. “I’m sure he’s disappointed, frustrated. We were, too. But like I said, we’re in a good place. He’s out to have the best year of his career.”