Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Via has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers amid a contract dispute with the team, his agent Collin Roberts told reporters.
Vea was a hold-in at the team’s mandatory minicamp last month because of his contract situation. Coach Todd Bowles said he wasn’t concerned at that time, calling it “part of the business.”
Vea, 31, is entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million contract. He is set to earn $17 million this season, but none of it is guaranteed. He also is set to earn a per-game roster bonus that is capped at $1 million total.
Last season, Vea appeared in all 17 games, finishing with 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 34 tackles.
He has 35 sacks in eight seasons since the Buccaneers selected him with the 12th pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2024.
