The Vikings’ Top 3 Roster Losers Due to NFL Free Agency
Last week was all about the winners. What of the losers, those who are travelling along the opposite side of the two-way street? The latest consideration focuses on the Vikings’ top 3 players who are seeing their job challenged.
Football is a hierarchical sport. Adding a new starter for a certain position means that others have been bumped down. As a result, there are some roster losers, as least as it relates to getting bumped down the depth chart.
Vikings’ Top 3 Roster Losers
No. 1 — Ivan Pace Jr., Linebacker
Last year, Eric Wilson stole away Ivan Pace’s starting job. Mr. Wilson was venturing into free agency before Minnesota re-signed the veteran for three years and north of $20 million. Best case: Mr. Pace is being viewed as the LB3.
There’s a world where Pace keeps getting better. Maybe he still fulfills the hopes of being a long-term starter, an attacking ‘backer who specializes in terrorizing quarterbacks and chasing down runners. He has an uphill battle, though, as it relates to being a starter in 2026.
At minimum, he’s a strong specialist and depth option, which is generally a great outcome for an undrafted talent. The reality, though, is that expectations have changed given the abilities that Pace has shown. He has much to prove and remains a trade candidate. Moving him out would mean freeing up $3.52 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
No. 2 — Walter Rouse, Offensive Tackle
Sometimes, teams allow veterans to leave since there’s an in-house young fella who is ready to step up. Look at the decision to say goodbye to Jalen Nailor. Doing so offers a hint that there’s optimism for what Tai Felton can do.
Is the same true for Walter Rouse? It doesn’t appear so. The Vikings sent over $4.27 million to steal away OT3 Ryan Van Demark from the Bills.
The offensive tackle was a 6th-Round selection in 2024. A modest rookie season was to be expected, but not as much rolling into his sophomore year. Rouse got some early work but then was inactive for a good portion of the season’s second half. Quite possibly, Minnesota lets the competition play out, but the Vikings have taken some actions that suggest a more pessimistic view of Rouse’s outlook.
Seeing him get subtracted won’t be super surprising.
No. 3 — J.J. McCarthy, Quarterback
If a game took place tonight, J.J. McCarthy would be the QB2 (assuming the only factor was current on-field ability). What remains to be seen is if that will be the case in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season.
The Michigan alumnus isn’t a perfect player. He is, nevertheless, a promising player. Tossing Kyler Murray into the mix will be a huge success if McCarthy proves so good that Murray never plays a single snap as a Viking. Indeed, the best outcome remains seeing the 23-year-old quarterback elevate to such a degree that he’s the clear starter who never gives back the job in the upcoming season (and possibly for years afterwards).
No doubt, the odds are against him. He’s facing pressure from Murray out in front of him and Carson Wentz behind him. Bad news if the only criteria is decreased playing time. The focus shifts to McCarthy to turn this potential loss into a stepping stone toward winning back his job.
