Veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy signed with the Minnesota Vikings right before the start of the 2026 NFL season on Sept. 2. Nonetheless, the 35-year-old was signed to the practice squad with plans to ramp up for the active roster.
Although Van Noy will play another season, he admitted that this early part of the season has made him check his ego at the door.
Since coming into the league in 2014 as a second-round pick, Van Noy has been a regular starter everywhere he’s gone. As a result, being on the practice squad has been a test for him.
“I’m gonna be honest; I’m battling with that right now, to be honest, because I’ve been a highly paid player my whole career, and [the Vikings have] been great to me, where they haven’t treated me like practice squad,” Van Noy said on the Sept. 16 edition of “4th and South” about being signed to the practice squad.
“I don’t take any practice squad reps. They have me on the 53. Essentially, every team’s manipulating the situation now with guys that are veterans, where they’ll either have you sign [or] negotiate a contract behind the scenes and then have you on the practice squad and use your elevations to help, because essentially you’re a mercenary.”
Kyle Van Noy Accepts Being on the Vikings Practice Squad
Despite being in uncharted territory on the practice squad and Van Noy’s mental strength, the veteran is approaching this time with a positive attitude. Van Noy didn’t have OTAs, training camp, or the preseason, so he probably knows this is a major part of the process before he can go out on the field at full speed.
“Like I signed up for this, and I’m going to continue to work through that and have the best positive attitude,” Van Noy added. “But you got to fight the ego. I think that’s the biggest thing is when you get to a certain age in the NFL is you got to check your ego at the door. Just because things were one way doesn’t mean it can’t be different in another, and you can still be productive, and that’s kind of what I’ve always done.
“It doesn’t matter what role. It doesn’t matter how many plays. I’ve always been productive, and I’m going to plan on doing the same. I think it’s just checking that mentally every single day. Is it easy? Hell no. Like, it’s not easy at all.”
Kyle Van Noy Doesn’t Want to End Career With Regrets
Van Noy was elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for the game against the Green Bay Packers, so it appears that he might be ready to remain there. Although Van Noy has dealt with the mental toll of being on the practice squad, he’d rather face that than retire with regrets down the road.
“I just think it would be a disservice to myself and who I am as a person to walk away from something and still have the itch 15 years later, 20 years later, like, ‘Damn, I wish I would have just sucked it up and did it,'” Van Noy said.
Kyle Van Noy Makes Blunt Admission After Signing With Vikings