While it’s impossible to argue the Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t had their offense absolutely decimated by injuries through the first 7 games of the 2025 regular season, the defense has been mostly spared.
Aside from a season ending injury to defensive lineman and 2025 team sacks leader Calijah Kancey in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans, it’s been relatively smooth sailing for the unit head coach Todd Bowles directly oversees.
That’s why it was so encouraging to see the news about nose tackle Vita Vea, a 2-time Pro Bowler in the penultimate season of a 4-year, $71 million contract.
“Todd Bowles said four players are ruled out for Sunday vs. Saints: WR Chris Godwin, RB Bucky Irving, OLB Haason Reddick and G Luke Haggard,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on October 24. “Vita Vea questionable but in line to play.”
The Buccaneers, 5-2, travel to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 following a 24-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7.
The Saints are 1-6 and in last place in the NFC South.
Vea Dealt With Foot Issue Before Season Opener
This isn’t the first time this season that Vea has dealt with foot problems — he missed 2 practices for the same reason in the week leading up to the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on September 7 but still found a way onto the field.
In 7 games Vea, 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, is second on the team with 2.5 sacks to go with 17 tackles, 3 TFL, 6 QB hits and 1 fumble recovery.
In 2024, Vea made his second career Pro Bowl with 42 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 10 TFL and 13 QB hits.
One of NFL’s Elite Interior Defensive Linemen
Eight seasons into his NFL career, Vea is well established as one of the NFL’s elite interior defensive linemen.
Drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round (No. 12 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft, he was a plug and play starter from the moment he walked in the locker room.
Vea famously returned from a fractured leg and ankle suffered in Week 5 of the 2020 regular season to play in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LV, helping lead Tampa Bay to a world title.
NFL executives voted him No. 9 among NFL interior defensive linemen headed into the 2025 regular season in ESPN’s annual preseason position rankings.
Vea was one of only 3 players on the list to have made a Pro Bowl and also won a Super Bowl along with Chris Jones (No. 2) and Jalen Carter (No. 3).
New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was voted to the No. 1 spot.
“Vea slimmed down last offseason, and the result was a career-high 7.0 sacks along with his usual run-stopping ways,” ESPN”s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 8. “But the stats don’t tell the story with Vea, whose raw strength is undeniable. Vea’s 10 tackles for loss also marked a career high.”
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce joked that facing Vea was one of the reasons he retired following the 2023 season.
Kelce played the final game of his Hall of Fame career in a loss to the Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
“(I retired) because of knees that no longer wanted to block guys like Vita Vea,” Kelce joked. “And elbows that continually pop and get stuck in certain positions.”
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