Former NFL defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh hasn’t played for the Buccaneers since 2021, but he may have helped them get better this year.
Suh worked out with Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea this offseason, and Vea lost significant weight in the process, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Vea reportedly weighed a lot more than the 347 pounds he’s listed at, and the Bucs felt that his weight was slowing him down last year. The 37-year-old Suh, who hasn’t officially retired but isn’t under contract and didn’t play last season, was known for pushing himself through intense offseason workouts during his NFL career, often skipping his teams’ voluntary offseason workouts and then showing up to training camp in better shape than his teammates. Suh and Vea played next to each other on the Bucs’ defensive line from 2019 to 2021.
Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers has said Vea “looks a lot different” at a lighter weight and that the Bucs need him to play better than he did in 2023, when he was good but not dominant. A slimmer Vea may be a dominant player, and the Bucs may have Suh to thank for a dominant Vea in 2024.