The Buffalo Bills will not be adding a Pro Bowl defender in Vita Vea.
Earlier this month it was reported that the Bills had expressed interest in trading for the 30-year-old defensive tackle. Vea was then in the midst of a hold-in as he looks for a new contract from his current team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As it turns out, Vea had changed his mind. It was reported in recent days he wanted to remain in Tampa. That came to a climax on Wednesday as he came to an agreement on a new contract with the Bucs, eliminating any chance of Buffalo trading for him:
The $30 million extension for #Buccaneers DT Vita Vea is fully guaranteed, meaning $48 million over the next two seasons is fully guaranteed, per his agent @collinbroberts. pic.twitter.com/JXHcIUTvJU
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 19, 2026
In 2025, Pro Football Focus graded Vea as the 20th best defensive tackle in the NFL. Over the course of 112 career games, Vea has recorded 35 sacks and 256 tackles, including 48 for loss.
The NFL suspended Buffalo defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis for three games for violating the league's substance abuse policy which caused more eyes to look toward Vea in western New York. As it turns out, that will not be happening.
Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Report: Bills will not be trading for Pro Bowl defender Vita Vea
