Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht stated on Thursday that the team has "no plans" to trade defensive tackle Vita Vea, despite the player's recent request to be moved. Vea, a Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle, requested a trade after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension.
Licht confirmed that the team has been in recent communication with Vea's agent. "We love Vita," Licht said. "We've been engaged with his agent recently. I don't know how it's gonna end, but we've been engaged and that's at least some progress."
Vea has participated in training camp activities, including meetings and classroom sessions, and has been observed at practice. He was a first-round draft pick in 2018 and is entering the final year of his four-year contract, with a scheduled salary of $18 million for the upcoming season.
Reports indicate that Vea is interested in being traded to a team in California or to the Las Vegas Raiders. This potentially places the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers as possible destinations.
Vea has been a key player for the Buccaneers' defense since being drafted out of Washington. He was instrumental in the team's Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
In a separate contract situation, quarterback Baker Mayfield is also in ongoing negotiations. Mayfield has opted to play the final year of his contract without a new deal, despite several months of discussions with team executives. Mayfield expressed feeling "disrespected a little bit" due to the lack of progress in negotiations, stating he "deserved to be compensated" for his performance.
Licht addressed Mayfield's situation, expressing confidence in the quarterback. "I'm not going to get into specifics about the contract and all that stuff, but yeah - we do think he is [a franchise quarterback]," Licht said. "We love Baker. Baker's in a great place right now. We're in a very good place."
Licht acknowledged Mayfield's competitive nature and potential frustration but emphasized the positive state of their relationship. "Baker, as we all know here, is a very fiery competitor that's not afraid to speak his mind. I'm sure - I know he's disappointed, frustrated. We were too. But like I said, he is, we're in a good place. He's focused on having the best year of his career."