TAMPA, Fla. -- As the Vita Vea training camp contract hold in moves into Week 3 (that's counting just camp -- he also was a minicamp hold in), Vea still isn't practicing and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles acknowledged the realities of not having the Pro Bowl nose tackle on the field.
"I'm never comfortable playing without him," Bowles said Tuesday. "But we've had injuries before, and I've played without him before. We've got guys up there that have played a bunch of games in this league. They might not have the same impact, but they have their own impact in a way. I'd be comfortable playing with them."
Bowles said all starters will play this week when they host the Kansas City Chiefs, so Vea's absence will be felt. For years now, offensive players and coaches around the league have frequently pointed to the 347-pound, two-time Pro Bowler as the one to watch out for when lining up against Tampa.
Since Bowles' arrival in 2019, in the 4,287 regular and postseason snaps Vea has been on the field, the Bucs have produced a 45.8% pass rush win rate. In the 3,783 snaps in which Vea hasn't been on the field, that number drops to 39%. In plays when Vea has participated, their sack percentage is 7.1%. When Vea hasn't participated, it drops to 5.6%. When Vea plays, the pressure percentage has been 31.9%. When he hasn't played -- 29.9%.
In Super Bowl LV against the Chiefs, Vea was a key reason why Bowles -- then the Bucs' defensive coordinator -- only had to rush four against future Pro Football Hall of Famer Patrick Mahomes. Throughout the game, Mahomes struggled to step into his throws.
Bowles, known for being one of the most blitz-heavy defensive playcallers in the league blitzed just 8.2% of the time in that game -- the fewest of any game in his career. That doesn't mean Bowles hasn't used Vea's presence to blitz the interior more -- as he loves blitzing the A-gap, but his presence creates more options.
"It changes what we do, probably not the way I call a game," Bowles said of Vea's presence. "It may change some fronts here and there so we can take advantage of what those guys do well. That would probably be the only difference."
Even at age 31, the differences are noticeable. In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, when Vea was on the field, the Bucs produced a pass rush win rate of 42.9%. When he's not -- 35.7%. When he's been on the field, their sacks per dropback -- 6.7%. When he hasn't been -- 4.7%.
The clock is ticking for a resolution although sources close to the situation say indicate there has been no movement. General manager Jason Licht said he has no plans to trade the 2018 first-round draft pick, who is set to make $17.75 million in 2026. Vea currently has no more guaranteed money left on his deal -- which runs through the end of the season. His deal does, however, including a per-game roster bonus capped at $1 million total.
Twenty defensive tackles in the league are averaging more money per year, with six of them actually Vea's age (31) or older. Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles currently leads the league at $38 million per year at age 25. In the '31 and up' club, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is making $31.75 million per year. Vea's 34.0 sacks are 10th in the league among defensive tackles since 2018. Jones currently has the most in that category during the regular season at 73.5.
The Bucs are also navigating a contract impasse with quarterback Baker Mayfield, although Mayfield has continued practicing and will play this season. Licht said just a few weeks ago that he expected Vea to play this year as well. Instead, Vea continues to stand on the sideline, in part because of a tweaked back suffered during the team's conditioning test at the beginning of camp.
Vea remains engaged in meetings and could be seen this week helping teammates during blocking drills. He did go up to joint practices at the New York Jets last week too.
"We'll probably talk next week. We'll probably talk next week," Bowles said. "Right now, everything is ongoing."