Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings have painted themselves into a corner with Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
“Minnesota elevated Edge Kyle Van Noy and S Tavierre Thomas. Van Noy using his final elevation,” The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported on X on September 26, adding that “C Nick Samac is headed to IR, so believe the backup C would be Joe Huber.”
That followed the official announcement by the Vikings.
“Van Noy, 35, is in his 13th NFL season. The 2014 second-round pick of Detroit has started 116 of 175 regular-season games for the Lions, Patriots, Dolphins, Chargers, Ravens and Vikings,” Vikings.com’s Craig Peters wrote in the release on September 25. “He overlapped with Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores in New England and Miami, helping the Patriots win Super Bowls LI and LIII.”
“Van Noy has totaled 563 tackles, including 75 for losses and 57 sacks, and four career interceptions,” Peters noted, adding that Thomas “appeared in all 17 games of 2025 with Minnesota, logging 371 special teams snaps and 18 on defense. He led the Vikings with 19 special teams tackles in 2025.”
Van Noy signed with the Vikings on September 2, and has quickly acclimated himself to the scheme in his reunion with Flores.
So far, Van Noy has notched 2 total tackles with the Vikings, logging 43 snaps on defense, per Pro Football Reference. Van Noy even logged the start in the Vikings’ win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.
Kyle Van Noy, Vikings Putting Pressure on Opponents
Van Noy is a versatile player, the likes of which affords Flores the kind of flexibility to mix up his coverage and blitz looks to flummox opposing QBs. This season, though, Flores and the Vikings have leaned even further into the later method.
“The Vikings defense under Brian Flores has blitzed on 74% of opponent dropbacks this season — the highest rate in the NFL by far,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on X on September 27. “No other team is above 45%. It’s also the highest rate by any team through two games since tracking began in 2006, according to ESPN Research.”
However, their Week 3 matchup looms large.
“Minnesota faces Tampa Bay today,” Schefter said in his post. “Baker Mayfield is 2-0 against Brian Flores-led defenses, with five passing TDs and one INT.”
According to PFR, Van Noy logged 10 blitz snaps in each of the past three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. His blitz reps have steadily declined since peaking at 115 in 2019 with the Dolphins, but that skill set remains immeasurably valuable to Flores and the Vikings.
That also begs the question of what the Vikings do regarding Van Noy in Week 4.
They will be back at home, facing one of his and Flores’ former teams in the Miami Dolphins, which could be a fitting window to make his spot on the 53-man roster official.
Of course, that means the Vikings will need to create space, i.e., cutting ties with someone who is already on the bubble. That is, of course, unless an unfortunate injury occurs that clears a path for Van Noy to the Vikings 53-man roster.
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