On Sept. 1, the Minnesota Vikings hosted veteran pass rusher Kyle Van Noy for a visit as the team looks to add more depth to its pass rush, per Pro Football Talk. Moreover, Van Noy would be familiar with what defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants to run.
The 35-year-old spent time with Flores from 2016-2018 with the New England Patriots and in 2020 with the Miami Dolphins. As a result, it would be a signing that makes sense.
Last season with the Baltimore Ravens, Van Noy registered 2.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. But in 2024, he recorded 12.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 21 QB hits.
On the Sept. 1 edition of “Sound the Horn,” former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber shared his thoughts on the Van Noy visit.
“Kyle Van Noy has been someone I’ve been banging the drum for a while,” Leber said. “When you think of Kyle Van Noy as a football fan, you think of him in the biggest moments, whether he’s with the Patriots, Miami, wherever he’s at.
“If there’s a big moment in a game, it seems like this guy’s always showing up. I know he’s a little long in the tooth. He’s 35 years old. I understand it. But you’re probably just looking for a one-year rental anyway.”
What Would Kyle Van Noy Bring to Minnesota?
Moreover, Leber believes that Van Noy will bring that veteran leadership to the Vikings’ defense.
“He’s old, but if he can give you one more good, solid year, be a good leader, be productive, why not bring him back in that sort of capacity?” Leber added. “So, I look at Kyle Van Noy, obviously not having been on the team before, but there is familiarity with Brian Flores and a lot, like a ton.
“I mean, he was in New England with Brian Flores for three years. Brian Flores loved him so much that when he went to Miami in 2020, who did he bring on the team? Kyle Van Noy.”
How Would Kyle Van Noy Fit Into Vikings’ Defense?
As mentioned, Van Noy has been with Flores in two stints. Leber shared his view on how he sees the veteran pass rusher fitting into Flores’ system at this stage of his career.
“Kyle Van Noy has also been quoted as saying he’s so thankful to have been around Bill Belichick and Brian Flores because Brian Flores understands how to use me,” Leber said. “He gets him. This system gets a versatile player like Kyle Van Noy. He played a whole bunch of snaps on the defensive front as an outside linebacker.
“He actually played like, I don’t know, 200-some snaps as an inside linebacker as well when they needed him. So he is sort of a utility guy that this defense needs.
“He is first and foremost a really disruptive pass rusher off the edge that can give you some snaps from the right or left side. So you can give our outside rushers some time to just get on the sideline and take a breather. Right now on our roster, I don’t think that we have the type of caliber outside rusher that Kyle Van Noy is.”
Vikings Receive Blunt Statement After Kyle Van Noy Visit