Understanding the challenge of blocking—or trying to block—6-foot-4, 347-pound Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea doesn’t require much imagination.
Former Philadelphia Eagles center and six-time NFL All-Pro Jason Kelce humorously highlighted just how difficult it is to block Vea during his appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast on September 13. While discussing his retirement after 13 NFL seasons, Vea’s name came up.
“I retired because my knees didn’t want to block guys like Vita Vea anymore,” Kelce remarked. “And my elbows keep popping and getting stuck in certain positions.”
Kelce is expected to be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer when eligible for induction in 2030 and is considered one of the greatest centers in NFL history. In his first year of retirement, he is part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown pregame team for 2024.
Additionally, the weekly podcast Kelce hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, sold its rights to Amazon’s Wondery for an estimated $100 million in August 2024.
Vea’s Dominance as a Nose Tackle for the Buccaneers.
Kelce has firsthand experience with Vea’s skill, having faced the 2018 first-round pick for the past six seasons. Notably, it was Vea and the Buccaneers who ended Kelce’s NFL career in the NFC Wild Card Game following the 2023 season, where they defeated the Eagles 32-9.
In 2024, the Buccaneers are seeing a leaner and more focused version of Vea, who, according to The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, weighed 347 pounds in June after previously being closer to 367 pounds for some time.
“Vita Vea could be better than ever in 2024,” Pompei reported. “At 29, the seven-year veteran is in the prime of his career, having lost significant weight in the offseason while training with former teammate Ndamukong Suh. Vea claims he currently weighs 347 pounds but likely weighed around 367.”
Vea is also playing for a lucrative contract. He signed a four-year, $71 million extension in March 2022 and is set to earn $16 million in 2024, $17 million in 2025, and $18 million in 2026.
Connection Between Injuries and Weight for Vea.
Selected 12th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Washington after earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017, Vea has faced ongoing injury issues throughout his career.
In his six seasons in the NFL, he has only played every regular-season game once, in 2019. He participated in 16 out of 17 games in 2021, the only year he made the Pro Bowl. In 2020, he played a career-low five games but returned for the playoffs, contributing significantly to the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run.
Vea’s recent success may have motivated him to pursue better health. Over the last two seasons, he achieved career-highs in sacks, recording 6.5 in 2022 and 5.5 in 2023, along with a career-high 43 tackles in 2023 despite missing two games. He also registered a career-high of two forced fumbles in 2023.
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