Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
At the outset of the season, Vikings rookie linebacker Jake Golday was the clear LB4. Not so in Week 7.
The Vikings gave the promising 2nd-Round selection a total of 9 snaps on defense versus the Colts, the most he has played in his still-young NFL career. Meanwhile, Ivan Pace Jr. was constrained to a modest workload for Brian Flores, kept down to just 4 snaps. Is that a sign of things to come? Do the Vikings shuffle the depth chart as the season progresses?
The Vikings Shifted a Larger Workload Onto Golday
Back in August, Jake Golday was inspiring a ton of optimism.
Much of the intrigue rested in his capacity to get moved around. The long-and-strong defender is a gifted athlete who has experience hanging around as a linebacker, slot defender, and coming off the edge. Partnering him with Brian Flores, a frisky playcaller, seemed like a match made in football heaven.
Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jake Golday (41) makes a tackle on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5) during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What has followed has been a modest workload for Coach Flores while proving to be a stalwart for Matt Daniels on specials. Consider his snap totals so far:
Week 1: 0 Snaps on D | 19 Snaps on Specials
Week 2: 0 Snaps on D | 15 Snaps on Specials
Week 3: 2 Snaps on D | 26 Snaps on Specials
Week 4: 5 Snaps on D | 18 Snaps on Specials
Week 5: 0 Snaps on D | 17 Snaps on Specials
Week 7: 9 Snaps on D | 19 Snaps on Specials
Now, the clear and obvious caveat: things are still really early for Mr. Golday. Still, though, it’s at least somewhat notable that his 9 plays on defense in Week 7 surpass his combined snaps on defense from Week 1 through to Week 5.
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Part of what makes things a touch more fascinating is that Minnesota was coming out of the bye. Did they plan on shovelling over more work to the rookie after the time away? The bye week is a unique time in an NFL season where a team gets more time to prepare and adjust. Golday’s playing time increase could have been a random feature of the game that was unexpected but that doesn’t appear likely given that everyone was healthy.
And then there’s the lesser workload for Ivan Pace Jr. The fourth-year linebacker appeared to be skating on thin ice coming into the season due to the presence of Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, and the 2nd-Round linebacker. The season’s opening games showed that Pace can keep being leaned on as a thumper in the ground game and quarterback walloper in the passing game.
The issue, though, is that he’s never been thought of as the second coming of Eric Kendricks in pass coverage. As a result, the Vikings’ defense is more predictable when Pace is on the field since he’s quite likely to be sent in a particular direction: forward.
Oct 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chris Bell (18) punts as Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) attempts to block during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The rookie linebacker is sitting atop 8 tackles and 1 forced fumble so far in 2026. He’s a noticeable presence on the field due to his size and speed, but he needs further refinement as he reads the play and pursues ball carriers.
We’ll see what DC Brian Flores decides, but Golday could end up being a nice matchup piece to slowdown the Lions’ many weapons who like to attack the shallow and middle of the field. Think RB Jahmyr Gibbs, TE Sam LaPorta (recently in the news), and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. Clogging up passing lanes with those long arms while chasing down the ball carrier with his sideline-to-sideline speed would make Mr. Golday a pretty valuable player in Week 8 and going forward.
Jake Golday, 23, stands at 6’4″ and weighs 240 pounds. On a basic level, Golday resembles Andrew Van Ginkel, boasting a near identical build. Going on to resemble what Van Ginkel can do will mean that Minnesota made a great call when opting for the Cincinnati Bearcat.
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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.