Ivan Pace Is Already Facing Pressure to Step Up Early in Vikings Training Camp

Will the veteran LB's situation motivate him to step up?

It's still early in training camp, but Ivan Pace Jr. needs to prove himself to the Vikings sooner rather than later. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

It's still the early days of Vikings training camp, but that doesn't mean it isn't important to make a strong first impression. Capitalizing on every summertime opportunity matters, whether that comes during a padless practice or the preseason finale, which is why many Vikings fans had their eyes on linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. once veterans reported to camp earlier this week.

Once a reliable starter in his first two seasons, Pace found himself in a smaller role than ever with the Vikings in 2025. He started the year as a defensive starter, only to be slotted into a special teams role as time went on. It was enough to wonder what Pace's future in Minnesota looked like, especially with him being due to hit free agency at the end of the 2026 campaign.

Needless to say, the Miami (OH)/Cincinnati product needed a strong start to training camp to put himself back on defensive coordinator Brian Flores's radar. Although there's still time to make that happen, early training camp reviews suggest that Pace is already being overshadowed by his fellow LBs.

Vikings LBs are quickly overshadowing Ivan Pace in training camp

Following Thursday's practice, Bring Me The News' Will Ragatz reported how "Blake Cashman was all over the field defensively, against run and pass." The 30-year-old linebacker was dealing with a lingering finger issue as recently as last week, so the fact that he was that active is encouraging for his outlook. At the same time, it leaves Pace with one less opportunity to capitalize on.

Vikings just wrapped up day two.

Outside of a couple throws, not a great day for Kyler Murray, who got most of the reps with the 1s. Some misses and botched snap exchanges.

Second straight solid day for J.J. McCarthy: High completion %, lower average depth of target.

Blake…

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) July 30, 2026

Additionally, Ragatz mentioned that the recently signed Jamal Adams was practicing with the first-team defenders. The former All-Pro safety has transitioned to linebacker in recent years, culminating in a solid performance that saw him tally 30 solo tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in 17 games (four starts) with the Raiders last season.

Given how he's been with the Vikings for less than a week, it's pretty notable to see Adams practicing with the top unit already. We'll see if that continues once full-pads practices begin on Monday; however, it's fair to say that Flores & Co. have high expectations for the three-time Pro Bowler. At the same time, Adams continuing to step up means that it's even more likely that Pace will be stuck on special teams (if he even makes the 53-man roster at all).

As for Pace, it doesn't sound like he's done much at training camp so far. Again, it's still early, but failing to generate any sort of buzz will give the Vikings one less reason to hold onto him this summer. That's especially true when a cut or trade would remove his entire $3.52 million cap hit from the books, according to Spotrac.

The Vikings won't take on any financial burden if they choose to cut Ivan Pace Jr. before the 2026 NFL season begins. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

That's without even mentioning how, on top of Cashman and Adams, Pace has to stand out against the likes of Eric Wilson—motivated after penning a $22.5 million extension in March—and second-round rookie Jake Golday, who's brimming with potential and could have a pep in his step following an impressive minicamp earlier this offseason.

There's still time, but...

It isn't over until it's over, but it's hard to ignore the evidence that's piling up.

Pace's outlook has been on the decline since the middle of last season, and it seems like the slope is only growing steeper in training camp. If his competition keeps stealing the spotlight from him once padded practices begin, it'll be even tougher to imagine him having much of a future with the Vikings.

We'll see what Pace can show the Vikings in the coming days, as every move he makes will determine whether his time in purple and gold will extend or end.

Get Vikings OnSI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.