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Buccaneers Not Worried About Vita Vea's Hold-In
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea has been present at mandatory minicamp practices this week, but he has been observing on the sidelines and is holding in as he seeks a new contract, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. "It's not concerning. We've been through it before. It's part of the business," head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. However, Bowles couldn't say if he's confident that a resolution would be reached by the start of training camp at the end of July. The 31-year-old interior defensive tackle is entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million contract, and he's set to make $17 million in 2026, but none of it is guaranteed. Vea has a history of injuries, including during offseason workouts, so he's trying to protect himself heading into the 2026 campaign. He broke his right leg and suffered an ankle fracture in 2020 and also missed most of training camp and the first three games of his rookie season in 2018 with a strained calf. Vea missed part of camp and the entire preseason in 2019 with an LCL sprain in his left knee. And in 2025, Vea had a foot injury late in the summer that forced him to miss practices before Week 1. When healthy, the veteran D-lineman remains one of the best run-stoppers in football.
Source: ESPN.com - Jenna Laine
Source: ESPN.com - Jenna Laine
