Ivan Pace Jr.’s situation with the Minnesota Vikings has been sticky, to say the least.
Ivan Pace broke out in 2023, regressed in 2024, and ultimately lost his spot last year. Therefore, 2026 has become a pivotal year for him. In his time with the Vikings, he has shown he’s good enough to play in the NFL. However, his decline in performance has led to trade discussions throughout last year and into the start of the next season.
Pace joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and took advantage of his opportunity with his aggressive play style. Since then, he has been trying to find the same success he had as a rookie.
In his rookie season, Pace started 11 of the 17 games. He recorded one interception, two passes defensed, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He also had 2.5 sacks and 102 tackles, including two for a loss.
In the last two seasons combined, he has started in 16 of his 28 games, has one interception, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, four sacks, and 134 tackles, including nine for a loss.
What the numbers in 2024 and 2025 combined don’t tell us is what happened in those years.
In 2024, Pace struggled to stay on the field due to multiple injuries. Last year, 2025, he lost his position to Eric Wilson.
It also doesn’t help that Pace’s missed-tackle percentage has increased each year, from 6.4% in 2023 to 11.4% in 2025. To put that into perspective, Blake Cashman, who missed time due to a hamstring injury, had a missed-tackle percentage of 5.3% in 2025. Cashman had the same number of missed tackles, which was fourth-most on the team.
Cashman was a starter in all 13 games, so his total tackles will also be higher. However, when a player is consistently playing at linebacker, Pace’s percentage doesn’t help his case.
In Pace’s first three seasons, he has been vital to Brian Flores’ defense. However, his lack of significant playing time over the last two seasons and his failure to complete tackles have set the rumor mill in motion.
Last season’s lack of performance and bad luck have led people to believe the Vikings may move on from Pace.
Add in promising second-rounder Jake Golday, and Pace’s tenure with the team is uncertain at best. If Golday outperforms Pace, the Vikings could trade him to a linebacker-needy team or cut him altogether. The loss would be pennies compared to the overall dollar amount, since Pace was just tenured this offseason for a price tag of $3.52 million. A trade or cut at this point would save the team that amount with no penalty of dead cap.
Ultimately, it will come down to how new general manager Nolan Teasley values Pace.
Teasley’s track record with the Seattle Seahawks and his ability to correctly evaluate a player’s worth compared to that same player’s on-field output puts him and cap guru Rob Brzezinski in a win-win situation.
If they trade Pace, they save money and likely acquire a trade asset. No trade? No problem. Cut Pace, and you still get back the $3.52 million. They just don’t get anything else in return.
Even as a backup, he needs to show exactly why this team gave him a chance over other, maybe more linebacker-needy, teams in 2026.
With Cashman and Wilson still with the team and as definitive starters, the number of snaps Pace gets throughout the 2026 season will be at a premium. He cannot allow Golday to outperform him at any stage, starting now.
Pace has shown that he can be an integral part of Flores’ defense. However, his inability to return to rookie form makes one wonder whether one of the 2024 injuries was more serious than the team initially believed.
At age 25, Pace is entering the prime of his career. Watching him go from a future every-down linebacker to a specialist to a potential cut candidate is not what anyone had in mind after watching him in 2023.
Pace’s consistent decline with the team, especially with the continual uptick in missed-tackle percentage, and rumors that he will be traded or cut before Week 1 of the season highlight the urgency for 2026 to be his year. It also accentuates the What have you done for us lately? mindset that is the NFL’s business.
Ivan Pace is playing for his Vikings career when camp resumes on August 1. He needs to show he holds value for all 32 NFL teams in case Minnesota moves on from him.
