Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (hamstring), who came into Monday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens with a questionable tag after missing practice on Saturday, is officially active to close out Week 7 action. Vea's presence on Monday will be a huge boost as the Buccaneers' defense looks to slow down NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry and dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson on the ground. The 29-year-old Pro Bowler is on pace to set a new career-high in sacks in 2024 after already registering three in five starts in 2024, adding 12 tackles (eight solo), five tackles for loss, three QB hits and one pass breakup. Despite Vea being active on Monday night, the Bucs' defense/special teams unit should be faded in fantasy against the high-powered Ravens offense.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (hamstring) expects to suit up for his team's matchup on Monday Night Football. It's fantastic news for the Bucs, as they'll need all the help they can get against the league's top rushing offense in the Baltimore Ravens. Vea was a late addition to Tampa Bay's injury report with a hamstring issue, but he'll give it a go in what projects to be an exciting matchup of 4-2 teams. The 29-year-old is one of the premiere space-eaters in the league and has recorded a sack in three straight contests. He'll look to keep that streak going in the first game of the Monday Night Football doubleheader. With a fairly new injury designation, it's possible his snaps are limited. If that's the case, teammate Greg Gaines would likely see an uptick in usage.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (hamstring) is currently listed as questionable ahead of Monday's Week 7 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Vea popped up on the injury report on Saturday due to a hamstring issue. The loss of Vea would be a significant hit to this defensive unit. The 29-year-old is one of the better run stopping tackles in the league. He has 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks in five games this season. Greg Gaines would likely be asked to step in and start if Vea is unable to go. The Bucs are likely going to wait until Monday to decide on whether or not Vea will play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (knee), who was listed as questionable, is officially active for the Week 4 contest on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. Vea suffered a knee injury in Week 2 and missed last week's loss against the Denver Broncos. Getting Vea back will be a much-needed boost to Tampa's defensive line as they look to slow down Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who has gotten off to a strong start early in his Eagles tenure. Although the Broncos didn't really impose their will on the ground last week, Vea's absence from a pass-rush perspective was felt, as they were unable to sack rookie quarterback Bo Nix at all. Vea could have his snaps limited in his return to action against the Eagles, but his presence alone is a big boost for the Bucs' D as they look to slow the Eagles down.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Vita Vea (knee) is currently listed as doubtful ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Vea missed the first two practice sessions of the week before getting in a limited session on Friday. The superstar tackle suffered a MCL sprain during the Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions. It sounds like the Pro Bowl nose tackle might be able to play through the issue, but we'll see if the Bucs decide to take the cautious approach instead. If Vea sits, Greg Gaines would likely be asked to step up and start against the Denver Broncos. The loss of Vea would be a significant blow to the Bucs defense that is already dealing with a handful of injuries.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (knee) suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions, according to head coach Todd Bowles, and he's considered day-to-day. While Vea has a chance to play in a Week 3 meeting with the Denver Broncos at home, it's not guaranteed. We'll have a better idea of the 29-year-old defensive tackle's status for this weekend once the team starts practicing on Wednesday. If Vea were to be unable to play this Sunday, it would be an upgrade for a Broncos offensive line that hasn't been able to get anything going in the run game through two weeks. Vea was a Pro Bowler for the first time in 2021 with Tampa, and although he's not really a force in IDP fantasy formats, he's one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the league, so him missing any time would make the Bucs more vulnerable against the rush.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea (knee) exited during the second half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions and will not return. Vea was injured after a friendly fire hit between him and Yaya Diaby. He had registered one pass defended but zero tackles at the time of his departure. Tampa Bay was already without Calijah Kancey (calf), so now Greg Gaines will earn more opportunities with Vea sidelined.
The Athletic's Dan Pompei thinks Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea could have a career year in 2024. The seven-year veteran is entering the prime of his career at 29 years old after losing a significant amount of weight in the offseason while working out with former teammate Ndamukong Suh. Vea has been listed at 347 points but probably weighed closer to 367 pounds. The Buccaneers have wanted him to slim down for a while. Over the last three seasons, he has missed games with toe, groin, pectoral, calf, foot and knee injuries. In addition to being quicker and more explosive, Vea could also be healthier in 2024. The 29-year-old inside pass-rusher is hoping to play increased snaps on defense now that he's lighter after recording a career-high 43 tackles (28 solo) last year while picking up 5.5 sacks, one shy of his career-high.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea has lost weight this offseason while training with long-time NFL defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. The 2018 first-round pick reportedly weighed a lot more than the 347 pounds he was listed out last season, and the team believes it hampered his play in 2023. Buccaneers defense line coach Kacy Rodgers said Vea "looks a lot different," and the team wants him to go from being "good" to "dominant." Over his first six NFL seasons, Vea has racked up 180 tackles (111 solo), 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and 23.5 run stuffs. He is a one-time Pro Bowler (2021).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be missing another key defender in Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, as defensive tackle Vita Vea (toe) has been ruled out. In addition, the Bucs will be without linebacker Devin White (foot) and cornerback Jamel Dean (ankle, foot) yet again. Vea is the team's best run-stopper at nose tackle and has 33 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles this year for the Bucs, so his absence is pretty notable this weekend against a Falcons team that loves to run the rock more often than not. With the 28-year-old Vea sidelined on Sunday, Greg Gaines will see more playing time on the Buccaneers' defensive line.
