Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings have made several changes to the roster ahead of Week 4, including regarding the respective statuses of veterans and Super Bowl champions Johnny Hekker and Kyle Van Noy.
Van Noy broke the news of his deal.
“LFG! #skol,” Van Noy posted on X on September 29, including images of himself holding a Vikings helmet after signing his contract and on the field in uniform during a game.
“Van Noy initially joined Minnesota’s practice squad before the season and has been elevated for each of the past three weeks, reaching the maximum for elevations of a player to the 53-man roster without additional moves,” Vikings.com’s Craig Peters wrote in the official release.
“He has shown veteran prowess and power in reuniting with Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores after they had overlapped at New England (a run that included two Super Bowl wins) and Miami. Van Noy has recorded seven tackles, including four for losses and 1.5 sacks, fitting in with an aggressive rush unit.”
Vikings DC Brian Flores Gets Honest About Kyle Van Noy
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted the move happened in the wake of DC Brian Flores’ comments.
“He’s doing great. Obviously, he played his best game the other day. He’s impactful in both the run and the pass game. And so, expect to see more of him for sure,” Flores said on Tuesday.
“The terminology is very different than the last time I had him. We were doing a few different things then. And so, there was a little bit of learning there, and I think he’s just getting more comfortable day by day. But great vibe, great energy, great teammate, unselfish. All those things that we’re looking for. And organically, when those things all come together, good plays happen. And so, … he benefited from that the other day.”
Vikings Cut Ties With Super Bowl Champion in Encouraging Sign
The Vikings’ decision to cut ties with Hekker was not the only move they made that cleared a path for Van Noy, but the champion-for-champion swap does have further implications. The Vikings signed Hekker amid an injury to Brett Thorson.
“This likely means Brett Thorson will be good to go on Sunday,” VikingzFanPage posted in reaction to the news of Hekker’s departure.
Hekker punted eight times for 372 yards in his lone game with the Vikings.
Vikings Cut Ties With One Super Bowl Champion, Add Another in Roster Shuffle