The Bears are one of a few NFL teams who have called the Buccaneers regarding the trade availability of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Friday. It’s worth noting that Garafolo said the Buccaneers still plan on keeping Vea, though the Bears are one of the confirmed teams to have checked in on his availability.
Vea, 31, recently requested a trade in the midst of his contract negotiations with Tampa Bay. The two-time Pro Bowler is currently in the final year of his four-year, $71 million contract he signed in 2022.
A first-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2018, Vea is coming off a season in which he posted a 78.6 PFN DT Impact Score, ranking No. 25 among 107 qualified defensive tackles in the metric. For reference, the only Bears defensive tackle to finish with a top-50 score in 2025 was Gervon Dexter. Vea finished the season with 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits.
The Bears have a well-documented need along their defensive line, and they were relatively quiet in their additions to the group, with the only ones of note being Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and sixth-round draft pick Jordan van den Berg. None of the three project as starters for Chicago’s defense come Week 1.
Though Vea doesn’t fit the typical mold of a Dennis Allen defensive tackle, the 347-pounder is a tremendous pass rusher for a nose tackle and has been an impact defender for much of his time in the NFL.