Vikings make tough decision for top defender following injury in Week 12

Early in their Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears this past Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings lost starting inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. to a hamstring injury. Pace was able to walk off the field on his own after injuring his hamstring, but he didn't play another snap in the game after getting examined by the team's medical staff.

Unfortunately, the second-year defender will have to wait a few more weeks until he gets a shot to play another snap for the Vikings this season, as the team placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday.

With the move, Pace will have to miss a minimum of four games, meaning he won't be eligible to return until Minnesota hosts the Green Bay Packers inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 17.

Minnesota Vikings activate intriguing rookie after placing Ivan Pace Jr. on injured reserve

That Week 17 matchup could actually end up being the game where Pace returns, as The Athletic's Alec Lewis shared on Tuesday that the hope is the linebacker will only need a "short-term" stint on injured reserve to recover from his hamstring injury.

To help make up for his loss, the Vikings added a pair of linebackers to their active roster on Tuesday, as they signed Jamin Davis off of the Green Bay Packers practice squad and activated rookie Gabriel Murphy off of injured reserve.

Davis began the 2024 season as a member of the Washington Commanders, but they decided to release him in the middle of October. He began his NFL career with the Commanders after they drafted him with a first-round pick in 2021, and during his tenure with the franchise, he accumulated a total of 282 tackles in 50 appearances, including 36 starts.

As for Murphy, he signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent earlier this year, and he's been on injured reserve since the start of the 2024 campaign. During his final college season at UCLA in 2023, he generated the fifth-most pressures in the nation, so he could potentially add some more firepower to a Vikings pass rush that already ranks second in the NFL in pressure rate heading into Week 12.

More Vikings News and Analysis