He's baaackkk 👀
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 22, 2021
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting back a key defender for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Bucs announced the activation of defensive lineman Vita Vea from injured reserve on Friday, clearing his way to play against the Packers after missing 11 regular season games and both playoff games with a fractured ankle.
The 347-pound Vea is one of the NFL’s best nose tackles. In the first five games of 2020, he produced two sacks, three tackles for losses and three quarterback hits. At Pro Football Focus, Vea earned an overall grade of 90.1 through the first five games, the sixth-best overall defensive grade among all qualified defensive players from Week 1-5.
Vea injured his ankle in a loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 5 and missed the Bucs’ win over the Packers in Week 6.
Vea is similar to Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark in that he’s equally capable of stuffing the run at nose tackle while also contributing as a pass-rusher.
It’s fair to wonder how much impact a nearly 350-pound player coming off a fractured ankle will have after missing three straight months of game action. The Bucs are willing to find out on Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
