Former Husky Vita Vea wants a trade, and he wants to come back west

Defensive tackle Vita Vea has been a reliable presence on the interior of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's defensive line for the past eight years, but that may be about to change. The former Washington Husky, who was drafted No. 12 overall by Tampa Bay in the 2018 NFL Draft, requested a trade on Monday afternoon.

Vea was excellent across three seasons with the Huskies from 2015-2017, culminating in a 2017 season in which he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, won the Morris Trophy (given annually to the Pac-12’s best lineman), and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Since being drafted, Vea has recorded two Pro Bowl seasons (2021 and 2024) and a Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

With the exception of a 2020 lower leg fracture which caused him to miss 13 total games, Vea’s generally held up well against the wear and tear of NFL football. He’s missed only three games in his last three seasons, and he started all 17 games during a 2025 season in which he tallied 34 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight ‘stuffs’ (a tackle for loss on a run play), two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.

Vea’s 31 years old, but he’s only a year removed from his second Pro Bowl campaign, and his status as a true nose tackle will likely keep him a valuable commodity for seasons to come. He’s currently entering the last year of a four-year contract extension worth $71 million, but if he wants out now, the Bucs may want to oblige while they can still get something in return.

There are plenty of teams that would like to add a 6-foot-4, 347-pound veteran nose tackle, but according to The Athletic’s Ted Nyugen, Vea’s eyeing a move that would bring him closer to home.

California is home to three NFL teams, all of which sit within 320 miles of Vea’s hometown of Milpitas. Milpitas, which sits just a few miles north of central San Jose and the Santa Clara area, is also less than 400 miles from Las Vegas.

With four teams in proximity to his hometown, Vea’s got options to work with. Today, I’m breaking down where each of these four teams stand at nose tackle to see which teams should try hardest to trade for him.  

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers, whose home base at Levi’s Stadium sits just 25 minutes from Milpitas High School, are by far the closest team to home for Vea. The 49ers were the Vea household’s favorite team when Vita was growing up, and he named them as one of two teams he’d particularly like to play for when he was heading to the NFL in 2018.

The 49ers need to regroup on the defensive line after tallying the league’s fewest sacks (20) and eighth-most passing yards allowed (232.4 per game) in 2025. Things haven’t gotten better this offseason, as San Francisco already lost key interior contributors Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis to free agency and recently placed presumptive starter Alfred Collins on the PUP list. 

With Collins only a second-year pro, and with only undrafted rookie Bryson Eason behind him on the depth chart, the oft-injured 49ers would absolutely benefit from a proven contributor like Vea on the defensive interior.

As for trade capital, the 49ers currently have eight picks in next year’s draft. Their extra pick, a seventh-rounder given away by Kansas City in the Skyy Moore trade, won’t have much sway in trade talks, but the presence of an extra pick could encourage San Francisco’s front office to make a play at Vea using one or more of their more valuable picks.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams made what is likely the biggest move of this offseason on June 1, when they traded rising star edge rusher Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns for reigning Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sacks king Myles Garrett.

Garrett and fellow 2025 Pro Bowler Byron Young have the edges of the Rams’ defensive line covered, but Los Angeles is fairly strong on the interior, too. Poona Ford is a veteran nose tackle and a very capable starter who’s got three young players behind him in the depth chart. He’s also supported by a strong duo of 3-4 defensive ends in Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske to line up between himself and the edge rushers. 

The Rams are a popular pick to win the Super Bowl this year, and it’s possible Vea chooses to don the blue and gold in hopes of earning a second ring. However, the defensive line is almost certainly Los Angeles’ strongest position group, and with only four picks in next year’s draft, the Rams are likely unwilling to give up much for another interior defender.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers added to their defensive ranks in April’s NFL Draft by selecting edge rusher Akheem Mesidor and 3-4 defensive end Nick Barrett, but a potential weakness remains at nose tackle. 32-year-old free agent signing Dalvin Tomlinson is a proven veteran with nine years of starting experience, but he’s joining his third team in three years, and on a one-year contract may be viewed as more of a short-term stopgap than a multi-year contributor.

With naught but a pair of undrafted rookie free agents waiting in the wings behind Tomlinson, the Chargers would be wise to explore a possible trade for Vea. It would be interesting to see how Los Angeles decides to use a pair of veteran nose tackles, but given their current lack of other options, Bolts fans would likely welcome Vea with open arms. The Chargers are missing a sixth-round pick in 2027, but their current tally of six future selections still gives them some room to explore a trade.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were briefly involved in a blockbuster move in early March, when superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby was briefly dealt to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a pair of first-round picks. Following Crosby’s failed physical and return to Las Vegas, the Raiders added reinforcements to the defensive line in the forms of edge rusher Kwity Paye and nose tackle Benito Jones to form a solid rotation of capable defenders.

On the interior, Jones will join an existing cadre of interior linemen, including 2025 starting nose tackle Adam Butler and a pair of high-upside second-years in Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues. The Raiders also drafted nose tackle Brandon Cleveland out of NC State in the seventh round of this year’s draft.

That’s already a pretty full rotation on the interior, and the addition of Vea could slow the development of Las Vegas’ exciting younger options, but there’s no denying that Vea would be a valuable short-term addition to a rebuilding Raiders program. There’s no denying the interest from Vea, either: The Raiders were the other team which Vea publicly showed interest in before the draft.

Las Vegas has draft picks in the first six rounds of the 2027 draft, and could theoretically trade for Vea without taking from their current crop of interior defenders. However, given their positional depth and Vea’s status as a starter, it may be wiser for the Raiders to shop for trades via one of their younger prospects and a draft pick.

Other potential suitors

Of the four teams Vea is reportedly interested in, the 49ers feel like the best match. However, there’s an argument to be made for Vea landing with each of the other three squads, and there are plenty of other teams in need of help along the defensive interior. 

The Buffalo Bills are rebuilding defensively, the New York Giants must replace Dexter Lawrence II, and the similarly-needy Dallas Cowboys are reportedly shopping draft picks for top talent. No matter where the former Husky lands, he’s likely to continue to build on what’s been an impressive professional career.

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