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There is a common misconception about why Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was benched, and its important to know.
The Minnesota Vikings thought they had struck gold after Ivan Pace Jr.‘s rookie year. The UDFA was in the top 115 of the consensus board and went undrafted due to his odd size at 5-10 and 237 pounds.
His rookie year was exemplary, earning starts very quickly and was seen by many as a cornerstone player over the next few years. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way, as Pace got unceremoniously benched after Blake Cashman returned from injury after the Week 6 bye week.
Ivan Pace named to all backup team
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell did an interesting exercise where he developed an all-backup team. The Vikings had two representatives: punter Brett Thorson and Pace. His reasoning for Pace losing his job isn’t correct.
“Pace lost his job through no fault of his own, as former Packers linebacker Eric Wilson suddenly went supernova and started demolishing running backs in pass protection to earn more playing time. Pace is undersized at 5-10 and 236 pounds, but he’s a capable player around the line of scrimmage and in coverage.”
Yes, Wilson had a great season, but his explosion didn’t happen before Pace got benched. It came once he officially replaced Pace in the starting lineup. The reason why Pace got benched was very simple: he hadn’t developed enough into a well-rounded player.
Pace has always struggled with lateral movement and in pass coverage, with both things not improving nearly enough during his first two seasons. He was getting exposed in multiple ways, especially in coverage, and that’s why the Vikings chose to move on. That is important context here, as it’s huge in the Vikings’ success in 2025.
The Vikings made the right call moving on from Pace as a starter, and with his salary of $3.52 million, he could be on the way out the door.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Minnesota Vikings backup highlighted for fascinating team by NFL analyst, but it's for the wrong reasons
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