Vita Vea can confidently call Tampa his home for years to come.
The defensive tackle and the Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a four-year extension, the team announced Saturday. The deal is worth over $73 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Vea has become an essential part of Tampa Bay's defense in his first four seasons. The former 12th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has blossomed into a stout, powerful interior lineman capable of taking on double teams, plugging gaps and perhaps most importantly, getting significant push on centers and guards in pass-rushing scenarios. He's developed a reputation for being an interior wrecking ball and helps solidify the strength of the Buccaneers' defense between the tackles, while teammates Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul handle the edge rushing.
At 26 years old, the former University of Washington star has proven to be worth the high pick the Buccaneers spent on him. Vea has been reliably productive, tallying 11.5 sacks in 49 games played, including a career-high 4.0 sacks in 2021, to go along with 104 tackles (16 for loss). His only hurdle has been intermittent injuries not uncommon to players who call the interior home.
With the Buccaneers again looking to make a Super Bowl run in 2022, they're also not forgetting about their future. And after coming to terms on an extension, it's clear Vea will be a key part of it.
