Return Engagement for Van Noy
The New England Patriots are bringing back another player from Miami.
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy is returning to the Patriots after spending the 2020 season with the Miami Dolphins after leaving via free agency.
Van Noy announced the move on Twitter on Wednesday night.
Van Noy put together a 33-second video clip with the words, "The Next Chapter," and the whispered into the camera at the end: "Pats Nation, I'm baaack. Let's get it."
The contract is a two-year deal that could be worth up to $13.2 million for Van Noy, according to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo. Van Noy made a little more than $15 million in his one year in Miami, according to overthecap.com.
It was a week ago that Van Noy officially was released by the Dolphins just one year into a four-year contract, a move that had been reported a week earlier.
The decision by the Dolphins to move on from Van Noy after just one year had more to do than anything else financial consideration after they gave him a four-year, $51 million contract.
In his one season in Miami, Van Noy turned in a solid season, starting 13 of the 14 games he played and finishing with 69 tackles, with six sacks, a career-high 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
The numbers were similar to what Van Noy produced in the final season of his first stint in New England when he had a career-high 6.5 sacks.
Because he was released, Van Noy was free to sign with any team for the past week, and a return to New England always loomed as a possibility because of his versatility and his familiarity with the Patriots.
The Patriots linebacker corps also moves a step closer to the level it reached in 2019 with the signing of Matt Judon in free agency and the expected return of Dont'a Hightower after he opted out in 2020.
Van Noy became the second player to return to New England this offseason after playing last year in Miami, the first being center Ted Karras.
