Vea recorded three tackles (two solo) in the Buccaneers' 20-19 win over the Texans on Monday night.
Vea played a robust 41 snaps (84 percent) during the narrow victory and put together a solid performance that saw him tie for fourth on the team in tackles. It's been a relatively quiet start to the season overall for the two-time Pro Bowler, who opened the campaign with a two-tackle tally against the Falcons in Week 1.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Cleared to play Week 1
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Vea (foot) is active for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Falcons.
Vea missed the Bucs' first two practices of the week due to a foot injury. He managed to draw the questionable tag after logging a full practice Friday, and the veteran defensive lineman has done enough to be cleared to play Sunday. Vea is coming off a 2024 season in which he logged a career-high 7.0 sacks across 16 regular-season games.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Questionable after full practice
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Vea (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons after logging a full practice Friday, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea returned to practice Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday, and his ability to participate without limitations bodes well for the defensive tackle's availability come Sunday, though he didn't avoid an injury designation entirely. A final determination on Vea's status should come around 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff in Atlanta.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Vea (foot) did not participate in Thursday's practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea has missed the first two practices of the week while working through a foot injury. Friday is the last chance for Vea to practice, but participating even in a limited capacity would put him in good shape to play in Sunday's regular-season opener against Atlanta. Greg Gaines would be slated to see more snaps with the first-team defense alongside Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey if Vea is not cleared to play.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Misses practice Wednesday
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Vea (foot) did not participate at the Buccaneers' practice Wednesday, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.
Vea popped up on the injury report with an apparent foot injury Wednesday, ultimately sitting out the entirety of practice. The defensive tackle will have two more opportunities to return to practice before Sunday's regular-season opener against Atlanta.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Career-high sack total in '24
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Vea finished the 2024 regular season with 42 tackles (27 solo), including 7.0 sacks, and one defensed pass across 16 games.
The veteran defensive tackle added a solo tackle over 47 snaps in the Buccaneers' wild-card loss to the Commanders. During the regular season, Vea continued to profile as one of the best interior pass rushers in the league, setting a new career high in sacks while exceeding 5.0 sacks for the third straight season. Vea's tackle total was also the second highest of his career, and unless the Buccaneers opt to exercise an out in his deal this offseason at a dead cap hit of $11.5 million, Vea is due to play out the 2025 season in his usual capacity on the interior of Tampa Bay's defensive front.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Late addition to injury report
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Vea (hamstring) did not practice Saturday, and he is listed as questionable for Monday's game against Baltimore, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea was a full participant in practice Thursday and Friday, but he popped up on Saturday's injury report due to a hamstring issue. Given his late addition to the injury report, that could make Vea a game-time decision for Monday's game unless the team announces his status earlier. Greg Gaines started at nose tackle for Vea earlier in the year while the latter was dealing with an MCL sprain in his right knee.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Extends sack streak to three games
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Vea tallied four tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sacks, during Sunday's 51-27 win over the Saints.
Vea logged a sack in his third straight game Sunday, as he got to Spencer Rattler midway through the second quarter, which led to a Blake Grupe 29-yard field goal on the next play. Vea is up to 3.0 sacks on the year, and he'll look to extend his sack streak to four games in Week 7 against the elusive Lamar Jackson.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Listed as questionable for Week 4
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Vea (knee) was a limited participant in Friday's practice and has been listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Philadelphia.
Vea sprained the MCL in his right knee in Week 2 against the Lions, which forced him to sit out Week 3 against the Broncos. The 2018 first-round pick was a limited participant in all three practices this week, and he has given himself a fair shot at returning Sunday from a one-game absence. Greg Gaines would continue to see extended snaps at nose tackle if Vea was ruled out for Sunday's game or operated on a snap count.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Unlikely to play Sunday
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Vea (knee) was a limited participant in Friday's practice and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea is working through a Grade 2 MCL sprain he sustained in the Bucs' Week 2 win over the Lions. He opened the week with back-to-back DNPs, and while he was able to practice in a limited capacity Friday, the 2018 first-round pick isn't expected to suit up Sunday. Greg Gaines is the top candidate to slot into the starting nose tackle spot should Vea be inactive.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: DNP to open week
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Vea (knee) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Vea suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in Tampa Bay's Week 2 win over Detroit, and the 2018 first-round pick is considered day-to-day. His practice participation Thursday and Friday will provide a better indication of his availability for Sunday's game against the Broncos.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Considered day-to-day
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Vea is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will have a chance to play in Week 3 after suffering the injury in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Lions, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea was expected to undergo an MRI on Monday, which likely led to this diagnosis. The potentially quick return for the Washington product would be great news for the Buccaneers' defensive front, with Vea being one of the premier run-stopping tackles in the game. A final verdict on his ability to play in Week 3 against the Broncos probably won't be available until closer to kickoff Sunday, however.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: May be dealing with MCL sprain
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Vea, who suffered a knee injury in Sunday's 20-16 win over Detroit, is believed to be dealing with a sprained MCL, but the Buccaneers have optimism the issue isn't serious, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Vea went down in the second half of Sunday's game and didn't return. He's slated for an MRI on Monday, which should provide clarity about his injury and his status moving forward. If Vea is unable to suit up Week 3 versus Denver, Greg Gaines would likely take over as Tampa Bay's starting nose tackle.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Spotted with knee brace
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Vea was seen with a brace on his right knee following Sunday's 20-16 win over the Lions, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Vea was ruled out early in the second half of Sunday's game due to a knee injury. The 2018 first-round pick will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Vea's practice participation leading up to Week 3 against the Eagles will be closely monitored, and if he's unable to play, then Greg Gaines would slide into the starting nose tackle spot while C.J. Brewer serves as the backup.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Won't return Sunday
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Vea has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Lions due to a knee injury, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
The Buccaneers were without Calijah Kancey (calf) for Sunday's game, and they'll now be down another starting defensive lineman in Vea. Greg Gaines will take over for Vea as the primary nose tackle for the rest of the game while C.J. Brewer provides depth.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Drops weight for third downs
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Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Vea has dropped weight this offseason in the interest of playing increased snaps, including third downs, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Vea is coming off a career 2023 campaign, with a new high of 43 tackles (28 solo), while his 5.5 sacks fell just one short of tying a career-best mark. An ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks provides Vea with more IDP value than the usual defensive tackle, so if he can keep racking up sacks despite dropping weight, the addition of third-down reps could provide a significant boost to the 29-year-old's fantasy prospects.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Another productive season in books
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Vea recorded 43 tackles (28 solo), including 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles across 15 regular-season games in 2023. He added three stops (two solo), including a half-sack, in two postseason contests.
The mammoth defensive tackle set a new career high in regular-season tackles and fell just one sack short of tying the career-best 6.5 he'd recorded in 2022. Vea's pair of forced fumbles also represented a new high-water mark, and although he's currently on the books for a cap hit of just under $21 million in 2024, there aren't any indications he won't be back in his usual role as the anchor of Tampa Bay's defensive line next season.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Logs full practice Thursday
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Vea (toe) was a full participant at practice Thursday.
After being a limited participant in the Buccaneers' practice Wednesday, Vea upgraded to full practice Thursday. The veteran nose tackle has been nursing a toe injury, but it appears the issue is behind him and he's likely on track to play in a Week 16 matchup against the Jaguars.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Doubtful versus Green Bay
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Vea (toe) has been listed as doubtful ahead of Sunday's contest against the Packers.
Vea missed the Buccaneers' Week 14 win over the Falcons with a toe injury, and he's likely to miss a second straight game after logging a DNP for all three practices this week. Greg Gaines stepped in as the starting nose tackle for Week 14 and figures to reprise that role Sunday.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Limited in practice Wednesday
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Vea (groin) was a limited participant in the Buccaneers' practice Wednesday.
Vea is still dealing with a groin injury that held him out of the team's Week 8 loss to the Bills. The 2018 first-round managed to play through the injury last week and will look to do the same versus the Titans on Sunday.
