The Minnesota Vikings' defense is thriving under coordinator Brian Flores, and a significant reason for that success is the linebacker play. Starting interior linebackers Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson are playing so well that it is hard to take them off the field, which has led to a drastic decrease in snaps for Ivan Pace Jr.

Pace has played in all five games for the Vikings this season, but he has only participated in 45 of 295 possible defensive snaps. Even scarier is that he has played a total of seven defensive snaps in the last two games, getting only two against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.

The future is looking bleak for Ivan Pace Jr. with the Minnesota Vikings

Eventually, rookie linebacker Jake Golday will start cutting into those snaps as well. The 23-year-old second-round draft pick has been getting a lot of experience by playing 95 special teams snaps in his first five games, but has been limited on defense, getting only seven defensive snaps.

Pace is only 25 years old but is in his fourth season in the NFL. His snap count on defense has decreased with every passing season since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but it can't get much lower than the 16 percent that he is playing this season.

It was a little surprising when the Vikings signed Pace to a one-year extension this offseason worth $3.52 million to stay in Minnesota for the 2026 NFL season, since the team was going to move forward with Cashman and Wilson as starters and drafted Golday with an early selection.

For now, Pace is essentially earning $3.52 million for his work on special teams. However, even his work in that phase of the game is shrinking, and he had his lowest special teams snap count of the season (17) in Week 5 against the Saints.

With Pace on a one-year deal and his role on defense and special teams shrinking, it is difficult not to feel like the clock is ticking on his future with the Vikings.

If a team with a need for an interior linebacker called with a mid-to-late-round draft pick as a trade offer for him, Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley would be foolish not to listen to the pitch and consider the offer.

Otherwise, he may continue to be phased out of Minnesota's plans until he is eventually inactive on game day.