The Bucs continue to put a premium on continuity on offense, but they’ll need to find a new swing tackle. According to Alec Lewis, a Vikings beat writer for The Athletic, Justin Skule is leaving Tampa Bay for Minnesota.
The #Vikings have agreed to terms with T Justin Skule, per source.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) March 13, 2025
Skule played three years with Tampa Bay, and he is coming off of a one-year deal he signed this time last year. But playing behind two stalwart offensive tackles like Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, Skule would only see the field if one of those players got injured. Now Tampa Bay will need to see a replacement either in free agency or the draft as there is not a reserve tackle of Skule’s caliber currently on the roster.
Justin Skule Provided Consistency As A Backup Tackle
Bucs Ot Justin Skule
Bucs OT Justin Skule – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Justin Skule provided solid play as a backup swing tackle during his tenure with the Bucs. His services weren’t needed much in 2022 and 2023 as he only logged 45 total snaps across the two seasons.
But his play in that limited sample size was solid. Pro Football Focus credited him with a 70.5 overall grade in 2022 and a 69.8 grade in 2023. In both seasons, he earned high marks as a pass-blocker with grades north of 75.
In 2024, he was called upon to play a more significant role in the offense as both of Tampa Bay’s starting tackles suffered injuries that required them to miss games. Enter Skule, who logged 362 snaps over 10 games, including the playoffs. He started five of those games. For his efforts, he allowed 12 pressures and four sacks according to PFF, surrendering a 5.9% pressure rate.
The vast majority of those came in his season debut against the Detroit Lions when he had to face Lions superstar Aidan Hutchinson. The game was not a pretty one for Skule, who allowed four pressures and three sacks in the contest. Following the game, former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen took a good portion of the blame for Skule’s struggles, saying one of the quarterback takedowns was his fault and another was a communication breakdown that wasn’t on Skule.
From that point forward, the backup tackle’s numbers improved significantly with his pressure rate allowed for the remainder of the season falling to 2.5%.
Prior to joining the Bucs, Skule was a sixth-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. He played two seasons with the 49ers, playing in 21 games and starting 12 over his tenure with them.
Bucs Know Quality Depth On Offensive Line
Bucs Ot Justin Skule
Bucs OT Justin Skule – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
As difficult as it is to find quality offensive line play, the Bucs have done well with many of the backups they have used in recent years. Guard Aaron Stinnie stepped in during Tampa Bay’s playoff run toward an eventual Super Bowl in 2020 and played well enough to help Tampa Bay lift the Lombardi trophy. He would again take over for a starter in 2023 after the team deemed Matt Feiler too inconsistent. Stinnie would provide a more consistent boost for the remainder of the season.
Similarly, in 2022, backup Nick Leverett would take over for rookie Luke Goedeke, who never quite got accustomed to playing inside on the left side of the line. The team found more success in both their run and pass games with Leverett. While the team has not put a premium on financial investment in their backup offensive linemen, they have still been able to find quality players who have been able to hold their own for several seasons in a row.
Skule was the latest in that trend, but now Tampa Bay must find his replacement this offseason.