TAMPA, Fla. — Vita Vea showed up to training camp Wednesday. He wore his No. 50 red jersey, carried a blocking dummy and spent time talking with head coach Todd Bowles and linebackers coach Larry Foote. What he didn’t do was practice. After requesting a trade amid a contract standoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Vea was sidelined by what Bowles described as a back tweak during a running test ...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't get a new contract hammered out before training camp, but he was not a hold-in on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

Hannah Walls/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

TAMPA, Fla. — Vita Vea showed up to training camp Wednesday. He wore his No. 50 red jersey, carried a blocking dummy and spent time talking with head coach Todd Bowles and linebackers coach Larry Foote. What he didn’t do was practice.

After requesting a trade amid a contract standoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Vea was sidelined by what Bowles described as a back tweak during a running test Tuesday, a conveniently-timed setback that also bought both sides another day to see whether they can salvage negotiations.

“He’s been engaged then and he’s engaged now,” Bowles said of Vea. ”He came in in great shape. His weight is good. He ran quick (Tuesday), he tweaked something, so we’ll see how he feels."

What about his trade demands?

“We have not even discussed it,” Bowles said.

Meanwhile, quarterback Baker Mayfield looked sharp operating the offense during the team’s first camp practice.

Mayfield stuck to his self-imposed deadline to end talks on a contract extension and will play the 2026 season under the final year of his contract, earning $40 million.

Given Vea’s timely injury, and the fact that he reported to camp, he’s avoiding the $50,000 per day fine that would be levied if he held out altogether.

As for where any future negotiations stand, Bowles deferred to general manager Jason Licht.

“That’s a Jason (Licht) question,” Bowles said. “Right now, you said everything that Baker was going to do. We’re not going to make this training camp about Baker from a team standpoint. If something happens, great, but we’re getting ready for the season now and we expect him to have a great season for himself. He loves the guys he’s around and building with that and that’s all we’re going to go with right now.”

The Tampa Bay turmoil began in March when receiver Mike Evans opted to sign as a free agent with the 49ers, taking less money than the Bucs had offered.

“Seeing him in a different shade of red was kind of bizarre,” receiver Chris Godwin said Wednesday. “But again, it’s a business. I talked to Mike a couple weeks ago and he’s happy, so I’m happy. As far as my leadership, it doesn’t change at all. What I did, what I’ve brought to the team is completely different than what Mike brought to the team.”

Godwin admitted that players are very aware of the offseason headlines that affect the team and negotiations can be hard on a player.

“It can be frustrating,” Godwin said. “It can be challenging because there’s uncertainty and you want security for your family. It’s a violent game. You don’t know how long it can last, so it can mess with you. But if you got good people around you, if you’ve got good leaders in the locker room, you can navigate these things. You go out there and perform, you have fun with your guys, the other things will take care of itself.

“So many of us, we got into this game playing for the love of it, right? And then when the business kind of steps in, sometimes it can be frustrating. But over the years that I’ve gotten to know Bake, I don’t know if there’s anybody more equipped to handle something like that, right? He’s the consummate pro. He’s going to go out there and play his tail off.”

Bowles said his team has learned to deal with distractions, but he vowed to not allow discussions about Vea of Mayfield’s contract disputes disrupt their preparation for the season.

“There (are) players every year (that) you’re going to have them (with). These happen to be two of our biggest players,” Bowles said. “We haven’t had two of our biggest in a while, but we’ve had players every year. It just hasn’t been of that magnitude. But, it’s always about football. There (are) always going to be distractions just like there are on game day. There are going to be sudden changes and there are going to be sudden changes on the field.

“We have a very professional and mature group with a lot of leadership there, starting with Baker. So, he makes sure that’s separate. He makes sure the team knows that’s separate. Like I said, we’re not going to make this training camp about what he signed or what he didn’t sign or it being his contract year. We’re just going to play ball.”

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