Gigantic Former Lions OL Now Available, Makes Too Much Sense for Bears

Dan Skipper isn’t a Pro Bowler. He’s not even a household name.

But if you’ve been paying attention to the NFC North over the past few seasons, you’ve probably seen a 6-foot-9 mammoth of a man filling in at tackle for the Detroit Lions at times. Or lined up as a sixth lineman — or even rumbling into the end zone after scoring on a trick play. Now, fresh off his release from Detroit, Skipper is a player who makes too much sense for the Chicago Bears.

Adding a veteran like Skipper would give the Bears some insurance at both tackle spots and allow Ben Johnson — who is more than a tad familiar with the veteran OL — to sleep easier.

Braxton Jones is back from a broken ankle, but there’s no proven depth behind him. Rookie Ozzy Trapilo is untested, as is UDFA Theo Benedet, and Kiran Amegadjie hasn’t done much other than plummet down the depth chart. Thus, adding a veteran who understands Johnson’s offense seems like a good idea.

A Look Back at Skipper’s Journeyman Career

Skipper’s path has never been a glamorous one. Undrafted out of Arkansas in 2017, he signed with the Cowboys and immediately started the nomadic life that comes with trying to stick in the NFL. Dallas let him go, then it was New England, Denver, Houston, and quick pit stops with the Raiders and Colts.

But Detroit kept calling. Over the years, the Lions have used him as a Band-Aid up front — sometimes on the practice squad, sometimes as a game-day fill-in and more recently as their trusted OT3. By the end of the 2024 season, Skipper had played in 57 games, starting 11.

The moment that really put Skipper on the map came in Week 2 of the 2022 season. He had been cut on national television during “Hard Knocks,” only to get a surprise start at guard — a position he hadn’t played since his Arkansas days — against Washington. Detroit won, and Dan Campbell gave him the postgame podium as teammates chanted his name. It was pure Hollywood, and it turned Skipper into a cult hero in Detroit.

Of course, there’s also the infamous Dallas game in 2023. Lions fans will remember the wild finish when referees announced “No. 70 is eligible” after a two-point play, only for the throw to be ruled illegal because Skipper wasn’t the right number. The Lions felt robbed, and Skipper became part of a viral NFL controversy. To his credit, he handled the fallout with humor and professionalism.

Why the Chicago Bears Should Sign OL Dan Skipper

Let’s state the obvious first: the scheme fit is almost too perfect. Johnson, now in his first year running the Bears, knows Skipper well from Detroit. He used him as a sixth lineman in heavy packages and trusted him to start on the edge when injuries hit. Skipper could pretty much walk into Halas Hall tomorrow and be ready to go.

Then, there’s the money. Skipper’s not going to break the bank. He played on a veteran-minimum deal last year, around $1.1 million, and his market won’t be much higher now.

In the end, Skipper isn’t flashy. He’s not a long-term solution or a building block. But the Bears don’t need him to be. What they need is someone who knows the division, has been in the fire and can line up tomorrow without flinching. Skipper checks all those boxes.