Former UW star Vita Vea agrees to new deal with Buccaneers, ending hold-in

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed on a contract extension, ending the two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle’s hold-in.

Vita, who Tampa Bay drafted No. 12 overall in 2018 after his stellar college career with the UW Huskies, was entering the final season of a four-year, $71 million contract. His new deal reportedly is worth $48 million over the next two seasons.

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“Vita is exactly the type of player and person we want to build around in Tampa Bay,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said. “He has been a dominant force in the middle of our defense, an exceptional teammate, and a tremendous leader in our locker room.

“One of the keys to our recent success has been our ability to draft, develop and re-sign core, foundational players who set the standard for what it means to be a Buccaneer. As one of our team leaders, Vita has played a big role in establishing that winning culture, and we are excited to have him continuing to help lead the way as we pursue our next championship.”

Vea has 256 tackles, including 48 for loss, 79 quarterback hits, 35 sacks, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in eight seasons.

VITA VEA IS BUILT DIFFERENT 💪

🏆 Super Bowl LV Champion
⭐️ 2x Pro Bowler
😤 8th in franchise history with 35 sacks
1️⃣ Leads all nose tackles in sacks since 2019
😡 Bucs run defense has allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL since 2019 pic.twitter.com/h4VFMIlUH0

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 20, 2026

Seattle Sports staff made minor additions to this post.

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