News surrounding Tampa Bay Buccaneers disgruntled star defensive tackle Vita Vea and potential ties to the Chicago Bears took a major turn when NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo announced that Chicago, along with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, have checked in on the availability of the 31-year-old DT.
“Teams have called the Buccaneers to see if they’re interested in trading them,” Garafolo said prior to the Bucs preseason matchup against the New York Jets. “Amongst them I’m told is the Bills, the Bears, the 49ers, and a few others as well.”
Should the Bears make the move to acquire Vea? Is it even possible? Bears insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune shared his thoughts on those questions looming in the minds of many Bears fans.
Bears Insider Sends A Message on Chicago’s Interest Regarding Bucs’ DT Vita Vea
Some key information to know regarding a potential trade for Vita Vea:
- Vea is 31 years old and set to make $18 million this season.
- He’s looking for a pay raise which jumps his salary to over $35 million per year (e.g., Jalen Carter at $38M APY, Jeffery Simmons at $35.276M APY).
- Chicago, as of August 16th according to OvertheCap.com, have $4.3 million available cap space in 2026, $17.8M in 2027.
Now, here’s what Biggs had to say regarding the situation on a potential trade for Vea:
“The trade compensation isn’t the hard part with Vea. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and is seeking a hefty pay raise, so the Buccaneers would not get a major haul in return if they did decide to deal him. The challenging part for any team acquiring Vea would be figuring out the financial piece and determining what he’s worth in 2026, 2027 and potentially 2028. Teams don’t want to pay for past performance, which Vea has plenty of as a rugged run defender with the ability to collapse the pocket. Teams want to pay for future production.”
If Vea were a few years younger, it would be a different story. But age is a major factor in this discussion.
Granted, he’s still one of the most productive defensive tackles in the NFL, with 101 pressures and 11.5 sacks since 2024, which is comparable to the likes of Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Carter, and Dexter Lawrence, who all received major pay bumps this offseason.
“Very good but age is not on his side,” a pro scouting director texted Biggs. “Soon to be 32. You’d have to feel good about a couple seasons.”
More on a Potential Trade for Vea
GettyTAMPA, FLORIDA – JUNE 17: Vita Vea #50 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches drills during mandatory minicamp the AdventHealth Training Center on June 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Bears would certainly benefit from adding Vita Vea to the team, but maybe the need at defensive tackle isn’t as big as initially thought.
2026 sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg has impressed throughout training camp, and defensive tackle James Lynch, who signed a one-year, $1.315 million deal this offseason, had himself a game against the Cleveland Browns with two tackles, one quarterback hit, and one pass deflection. And while that might not seem like much, Biggs added that “the tape will show a lot more than that.”
“Had fun, honestly,” Lynch said after the game. “That’s what you do in Year 7. You learn not to take it for granted. The Bears put a jersey on me to go play, so I am grateful. Can’t lose your love for the game.”
Not only that, Chicago still has veterans Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter, along with other depth pieces like Shemar Turner, Neville Gallimore, and Kentavius Street. Even Dayo Odeyingbo, who the Bears like to push inside from time to time.
Ryan Poles will never shut down any attempt to make the team better, saying, “I’ve told you all for the last four or five years, we’re going to investigate any opportunities to get better.”
But he reiterated that the moves have to be done in a strategic way that will help the team long-term. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure we know our team. We evaluate on a daily basis and see what we need to do.”
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