TAMPA, Fla. — Vita Vea will be around a little while longer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just signed the nose tackle to a contract extension.
While terms of the contract were not disclosed, ESPN Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter said in a tweet that the Buccaneers and Vea agreed to terms on a four-year, $73 million extension that the team and agent Collin Roberts of Rep 1 Sports just finished, according to sources.
In addition, Schefter said Vea’s new deal includes $42 million guaranteed, per source.
"Vita Vea has emerged as one of our league’s most disruptive interior defensive linemen due to a unique skillset that combines strength and superior athleticism," Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht said. "Vita’s abilities as both a premier run stuffer and pass rusher are rare, and his presence on the defensive front has played a major role in our ability to consistently rank among the league leaders in rush defense since his arrival. We look forward to having Vita remain a core piece of our defense for years to come and are excited to continue watching him develop into one of the best nose tackles in the NFL."
Vea has started 44 out of 49 games played since arriving on the Buccaneers team as the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Earlier this season, Vea suffered a slight MCL injury, however he recovered and only missed one game. In his return, Vea's front tooth was knocked out but all has been well for the nose tackle since then.
