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Vikings Main Backup O-Lineman Finds New Home
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- Vikings Main Backup O-Lineman Finds New Home
Kirby Lee
The Minnesota Vikings employed Justin Skule in 2025 as their main backup offensive tackle behind Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill , but the relationship lasted just one season. Skule signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, the team he played for prior to the Vikings stop.
Ryan Van Demark now has a clean path to the swing-tackle job; Skule is officially out.
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In the meantime, Minnesota signed Van Demark to fill the Skule job in 2026.
Minnesota's Backup Tackle Picture Has Shifted Again
Skule is out in Minnesota after one year of service.
Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) celebrates with offensive tackle Justin Skule (77) after a rushing touchdown during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, as Tampa Bay's offense finds rhythm and momentum in a road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
Skule Back to TB
It took a full month, but Skule's 2026 free agency is over. Buccaneers reporter Scott Smith wrote Monday , "Skule is back in session in Tampa. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the signing of veteran offensive tackle Justin Skule, who previously played for the team from 2022-24. Skule spent the 2025 season with the Minnesota Vikings, appearing in 16 games and making nine starts."
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"Skule initially signed with the Buccaneers' practice squad in September of 2022 and spent most of the season on that unit, appearing in one late-season contest after being elevated for game day. However, he made the active roster in 2023 and played in all 34 games over the next two seasons, serving as a swing tackle and making five starts in 2024."
Minnesota was just a pit stop.
His Time with Vikings
Skule leaving the Vikings actually is not a nothingburger. Often, when a backup offensive lineman departs in free agency , it barely scratches the surface. But Skule's exit is noteworthy because he appeared in 16 games last year for the Vikings while starting 9. He wound up seeing action on 578 plays, the most in a single season of his career, which translated to 61% of all offensive transactions.
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Minnesota battled oodles of offensive line injuries, especially to Christian Darrisaw, whose nagging ACL recovery never really found a groove in 2025. Right tackle Brian O'Neill also missed time. In fact, the only starting offensive lineman spared was newcomer right guard Will Fries .
Skule produced a decent 65.7 Pro Football Focus grade on those 578 plays.
Skule's Career Resume
In 2024, his last season in Tampa Bay , Skule posted a 69.2 PFF grade over 362 offensive snaps at offensive tackle. Here's the PFF history for Skule, a 6th-Round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers :
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2025: 65.7
2024: 69.2
2023: 69.8
2022: 70.5
2021: DNP
2020: 45.4
2019: 61.7
And his updated overall NFL resume:
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San Francisco 49ers(2019–2021)
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers(2022–2024)
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Minnesota Vikings(2025)
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers(2026-now)
TampaBay.com 's Rick Stroud on the Skule signing : "A year ago, the Bucs lamented the loss of offensive tackle Justin Skule, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Vikings. With injuries to both Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke , Bucs free-agent signee Charlie Heck was forced to start six games last season."
"Given a chance to correct that situation Monday, the Bucs signed Skule to a one-year deal. That gives the team some much-needed depth and experience behind Wirfs and Goedeke at tackle. The signing will bring some competition to the backup tackle position. The Bucs are very high on Ben Chukwuma, who started two games as a rookie last season."
Nov 11, 2022; Munich, Germany; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackles Dylan Cook (65) and Justin Skule (77) work through drills during team practice at the FC Bayern Campus, preparing for an international matchup while focusing on technique and cohesion along the offensive line during the NFL's Germany showcase. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Tampa Bay ranked 15th in pass-block win rate last season and 27th in run-block win rate.
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Stroud added, "The Bucs expect their starting offensive line to be intact with Wirfs, Goedeke, center Graham Barton and guards Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch , who missed most of 2025 with a season-ending knee injury."
"Skule entered the league in 2019 as a sixth-round pick of the 49ers. As a veteran swing tackle capable of playing on both the left and the right side, he has accumulated an 18-8 record as a starter."
The OT Pecking Order in Tampa & RVD in MIN
With Skule back in the fold, here's a look at the Buccaneers' offensive tackle depth chart:
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Tristan Wirfs
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Justin Skule
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Benjamin Chukwuman
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Marshall Forener
In Minnesota, the OTs look like this:
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Christian Darrisaw
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Brian O'Neill
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Ryan Van Demark
Van Demark — the "new Skule" — entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Indianapolis in 2022 but was released before the season began. Buffalo then signed him to their practice squad, and by 2023, he began to see significant playing time.
Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Justin Skule (77) lines up against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, battling in the trenches during a Christmas Day matchup as Tampa Bay leans on its offensive line to control the line of scrimmage. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Since then, he has appeared in 43 games, starting 6, and has logged 558 offensive snaps over three seasons, frequently filling in for injured players.
His PFF grades and usage tell the story of a player trending upward:
2025: 74.4(312 snaps)
2024: 53.3(199 snaps)
2023: 60.2(47 snaps)
Van Demark will be the first line of defense if something happens to Darrisaw or O'Neill.
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Oddsmakers expect Skule's Buccaneers to win 8.5 games, the same assessment for the Vikings .
