Ivan Pace Jr.’s place in Minnesota looks more fragile by the week.
The Vikings’ defense has been rolling under coordinator Brian Flores, and the linebackers are a big part of why. Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson have locked down the starting interior spots, and that steady play has left Pace with far fewer chances to contribute.
Through five games, Pace has appeared in every contest, but his defensive workload has dropped to just 45 of 295 possible snaps. The last two weeks have been especially bleak: only seven defensive snaps total, including just two in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints.
That squeeze is only going to get tighter. Rookie linebacker Jake Golday is already working his way into the mix, even if most of his early value has come on special teams. The 23-year-old second-round draft pick has logged 95 special teams snaps in his first five games, while seeing only seven defensive snaps.
Pace is still just 25, but he’s already in his fourth NFL season, and his defensive role has shrunk every year since he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023. This season, he’s down to 16 percent of the defensive snaps, which is hard to spin as anything other than a steep decline.
The one-year extension he signed this offseason, worth $3.52 million and keeping him in Minnesota for the 2026 NFL season, looked a little unusual at the time. Cashman and Wilson were set as the starters, and Golday had been added with an early pick, so the path for Pace was already narrow.
Right now, he’s essentially making that $3.52 million for special teams work, but even that piece of his job has started to fade. His 17 special teams snaps against the Saints were his lowest total of the season.
With his role shrinking on both defense and special teams, it’s getting harder to picture Pace as part of Minnesota’s long-term plan. If another team called with a mid-to-late-round draft pick for an interior linebacker, general manager Nolan Teasley would have to give it serious thought.
If not, Pace may keep slipping further down the depth chart until he’s eventually inactive on game day.
In Other News...
Vikings Gave Caleb Williams A Reality Check Bears Fans Hate
Rainy games at Soldier Field have a way of turning pretty football arguments into ugly ones, and Week 2 was no exception. The Vikings came away with a 9-3 win over the Bears, leaning on a defense that made Chicago work for everything and turned the game into the kind of slog that can frustrate both sides just as much as it flatters the winner.
For Bears fans, though, the lingering frustration has been less about the scoreboard than the setting. Some have pointed to the conditions and a handful of missed scoring chances as reason to question how much the result should really count, even as Minnesotas defensive effort deserves plenty of credit on its own. The debate has only added another layer to a rivalry game that already felt like a referendum on how much patience Chicago has left for Caleb Williams and the offense around him. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Could Eye A Major Backfield Upgrade Before The Deadline
The trade deadline chatter around Saquon Barkley has put a spotlight on a few teams that could use a backfield jolt, and Minnesota is firmly in that mix. The Vikings have reason to at least take the phone call seriously, especially with the way their run game has looked and the uncertainty hanging over their current rotation.
Aaron Jones has not provided the same production he once did, and Jordan Mason is dealing with a fractured thumb, which leaves the Vikings in a spot where help would make sense. If Philadelphia were ever willing to move Barkley, Minnesota could be one of the more aggressive teams watching closely, even if the price and timing still make this a situation to monitor rather than a done deal. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Backfield Move Just Put A Bigger Possibility In Play
The Vikings made a roster adjustment before facing the Colts, releasing DeeJay Dallas to clear the way for Jordan Mason to come off injured reserve. It was the kind of backfield move teams make this time of year, but it also gave Minnesota a little more clarity heading into a matchup where the ground game will matter, especially with Mason returning and the Vikings looking to settle in around their current rotation.
At the same time, the broader running back picture around Indianapolis has a way of keeping Minnesota in the conversation. Jonathan Taylor remains under contract after his extension with the Colts, and while there is no indication a deal is imminent, the Vikings have been floated as a possible destination if circumstances ever change. The connection is worth watching because Colts interim general manager Ed Dodds has ties to Vikings GM Nolan Teasley, a thread that could matter if the situation around Taylor ever turns into something more than background noise. [Read more 🡒]