Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy Seems Quite Displeased With His Departure From Dolphins
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Kyle Van Noy does not seem pleased with the way his Miami Dolphins career ended. And he seems intent on doing something about it.
Van Noy met with the New England media on Wednesday, after the veteran linebacker signed back with the Patriots, with whom he won two Super Bowls during his three and a half seasons. Early in the video conference, he was asked an innocuous question about the difference he saw between Brian Flores as the head coach of the Dolphins and Brian Flores as the linebackers coach for the Patriots.
Van Noy wanted nothing to do with it.
"Yeah, no comment," he tersely answered.
Later in the call, Van Noy was asked about the statement he released after the Dolphins decided to cut him from the team after just one year. Specifically, Van Noy was asked if he'll feel a bit more of an edge when he goes against his former team twice in the upcoming season.
Once again, Van Noy was quite brief in his answer.
"Sure," he said. "You'll see."
Van Noy was also asked if it had been "weird" to go up against the Patriots and now be rejoining the team.
"Um, I mean ... [laughs], yeah, I mean, I know everything they do down there [in Miami]," he said. "It's gonna be good."
It sure seemed like Van Noy expected to stick around in Miami a little bit longer than one year after signing a four-year, $51 million contract (just $15 million of which was guaranteed) with the team last spring. And getting unceremoniously dumped by the team (and a coach in Flores who knew him well, no less) that sought him out as a free agent clearly isn't sitting well. Van Noy made that clear without saying all that much on Wednesday.
The soon-to-be-30-year-old first joined the Patriots during the 2016, when New England traded a sixth-round pick to acquire him (along with a seventh-round pick). A second-round pick (40th) overall by the Lions, Van Noy struggled to earn regular playing time. But in New England, he he gradually increased his role in the defense, to the point where he was on the field for 91 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps in 2018, when the team led the league in defense. He started 13 games for Miami in 2021, but the team opted to let him go this month.
As for his current team, he didn't want to forecast too far into the future about exactly how good the 2021 Patriots can be. But he did share his general optimism for what lies ahead.
"I think, honestly, everybody's gonna be ready to go. I think it starts from the head man, and I think he knows what he wants and he knows how to get the pieces he wants and puts it together," Van Noy said of Bill Belichick. "I think as players, we've just got to come together as quickly as possible and have one goal in mind. And I think everybody's got that right now. I can just tell you from speaking to some of the players, how hungry and excited they are. And I'm really excited."
Van Noy added: "I've got a big chip on my shoulder, too."
Surely, there wasn't much doubt about that.
