What’s behind Ivan Pace Jr.'s sudden disappearance from the Vikings' defense?

Pace didn't register a single defensive snap against Philadelphia as he appears to have lost his starting job.

Vikings LB Ivan Pace Jr. | Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Ivan Pace Jr. has been a mainstay in Minnesota's defense in virtually every game since he made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2023, but his status as a starter came to a crashing halt Sunday in the Vikings' 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Not only did Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson start at inside linebacker, but Pace watched most of the game from the sideline, failing to register a single defensive snap. He was only on the field during special teams.

The surprise benching came as Cashman returned from a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Wilson played very well in Cashman's place, and well enough to supplant Pace in the lineup.

"He' s a great teammate, great football player. He's done a lot of wonderful things here, and he will continue to do great things. I just told him to keep plugging away, don't get discouraged," Cashman said of Pace after the game.

"I actually shared some stories with him about myself and my journey and other guys I've played with," Cashman continued. "I've played with some guys that ended up being all-pro and were in similar situations as him, so I said keep going because you never know how things can shake out in a season and you just always gotta be ready. Conduct each week like a professional."

From a numbers standpoint, Pace and Wilson have been comparable. Pace leads Wilson in solo tackles 23 to 19 while Wilson has the edge in sacks (1.5 to 1.0) and forced fumbles (2 to 0). According to Pro Football Reference, Wilson has 41 combined tackles, including three tackles for loss and one QB hit, compared to 37 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and four QB hits for Pace.

The numbers from Pro Football Focus tell a different story. The chart below displays total snaps, grades for overall defense, run defense, tackling, pass rush and coverage, along with missed tackles.

Player	SNAPS	DEF	RDEF	TACK	PRSH	COV	MIS
Pace	238	45.5	56.4	39.7	62.5	37.7	10
Wilson	297	55.5	66.3	50.8	47.9	48.8	7

Pace had 12 missed tackles all of last season and his run defense and pass rush grades have plummeted from last season's marks of 87.0 and 83.9, respectively.

While the benching isn't good news for Pace, it's actually great news for Minnesota because it showcases depth at a position that had some questions entering this season. If Wilson continues to play at a high level and Pace can get back to the level he played at last season, the Vikings will feel really good about whoever they have on the field at inside linebacker.