Buccaneers Bring Back Familiar Face to Shore Up O-Line Depth

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had some serious questions about their offensive line depth heading into this offseason, and now, they've made another move to address those concerns.

The Bucs tackled this issue initially by re-signing depth guard Dan Feeney early in the offseason. Tampa Bay continued that trend of familiarity on Monday, bringing back depth tackle Justin Skule on a one-year deal, per FOX Sports' Greg Auman. Skule previously played with the Bucs from 2022-24 and spent one season with the Minnesota Vikings last year.

Bucs are bringing back offensive lineman Justin Skule, a key backup from 2022-24 who played for the Vikings last year.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 6, 2026

Buccaneers Bring Back Skule

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) celebrates with offensive tackle Justin Skule (77) | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Skule was with the Bucs for the two seasons prior to last year's, and he served as the team's swing tackle. He started five games for the Buccaneers in 2024 when right tackle Luke Goedeke suffered a concussion, and after a rough start against the Detroit Lions that year, he steadily improved each game.

Skule spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, starting nine games for them. Per Pro Football Focus, he had a decent season, netting an overall grade of 65.7. Now, he comes back to Tampa Bay, but he might not have the same role he had previously.

Last year, the Buccaneers turned to Ben Chukwuma at swing tackle after previously going with Charlie Heck. Now that Heck is gone, Skule will compete with Chukwuma for that spot, but whether or not he's able to win that job back depends on how well he does in training camp. Chukwuma graded out at 62.5 from PFF, but he is younger and could take a jump in his second NFL season in 2026, so it will likely be tough competition for Skule.

The move comes after general manager Jason Licht brought back former tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, creating a trend where Licht has brought back previous players with whom he is familiar. The financials on Skule's deal aren't known at this time, but the Bucs likely got him very cheap and could feel comfortable having him on board as they continue to shore up the depth on their offensive line.

There is still some depth to be signed on the interior line, however, so the Buccaneers will look toward the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft to potentially take care of that at the end of April.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.