Vita Vea Makes Stunning Retirement Promise to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles

Vita Vea announced that his retirement is linked to head coach Todd Bowles' future with the Buccaneers.

Vita Vea Makes Stunning Retirement Promise to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles

Vita Vea (Image via ESPN)

Vita Vea’s “hold-in” ended with a one-year extension. After penning the new deal, the Pro Bowl tackle announced that his retirement would be linked to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.

Vea, drafted 12th overall, has spent his entire NFL career with the Buccaneers. In January 2022, Vea signed a four-year extension that was slated to end after the 2026 season.

According to league sources, talks about an extension were taking place behind the scenes. However, last month, out of nowhere, the Super Bowl winner announced that he wanted to be traded.

Finally, on August 20, the Buccaneers agreed to a deal that will pay Vita Vea $30 million in the upcoming season. But Vea’s not done being a Buccaneer. He wants to continue playing for the NFC South franchise under one condition. The Bucs must stick with Todd Bowles as head coach.

Bowles has been under the scanner after failing to deliver the divisional crown for a third straight year. Vea chose to take a stand and supported Bowles by putting him and his teammates on a pedestal.

I [kind of] want to set the record straight. I feel like there’s a lot of, a lot of stuff going on about [Todd] Bowles. I feel like none of it is Bowles’ fault. We all love Bowles. He’s telling us what to do. He’s giving us all the answers to the test.

Vita Vea said

The 31-year-old continued:

And it’s on us players to be able to go out there and execute what he’s telling us to do. So he’s always putting us in the best position to play… I even told Bowles, the day he retires is the day I retire.

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Vita Vea pledged his loyalty to the Buccaneers

The Bucs drafted Vea in 2018. Three years later, he won a Super Bowl. The following year, Vea accumulated 33 tackles, 5 TFLs, a couple of sacks, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Vita Vea Makes Stunning Retirement Promise to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles
Vita Vea (Image via ESPN)

Three years later, Vea earned his second Pro Bowl call-up after racking up 42 tackles, 10 TFLs, 7 sacks, and one pass defensed. So far, Vea has 256 combined tackles, 48 TFLs, 35 Sacks, 9 passes defensed, and three touchdowns in 112 games.

Vea isn’t done wrecking offensive lines. And as long as he’s in the NFL, the 6-foot-4, 347-pounder wants to keep making plays for the Buccaneers.

I got drafted here. I made Tampa my home. I love it here. The guys on the team are like brothers to me. We look at each other as family. So, I didn’t want to leave that behind and switch teams and get traded. That was never the end goal for me. I always wanted to be here.

Vea said

Vita Vea nearly earned a top 10 defensive tackle title from ESPN

Back in July, ESPN released its top-10 NFL DT list. Seattle’s Leonard Williams, the Titans’ Jeffery Simmons, the Eagles’ Jalen Carter, the Chiefs’ Chris Jones, the Panthers’ Derrick Brown, the Cowboys’ Quinnen Williams, the Bengals’ Dexter Lawrence, the Broncos’ Zach Allen, the Patriots’ Milton Williams, and the Eagles’ Jordan Davis made the list.  

Vea missed out. However, he still received an honorable mention.

He’s still such a load to deal with, and he played a little lighter last year, which is good for him.

An NFL defensive line coach told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler

According to Pro Football Focus, Vea finished the 2025 season with a 72.8 overall defensive grade.

The Bucs defeated the New York Jets in the preseason opener. Up next, they take on the Kansas City Chiefs and close out the preseason by playing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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