Double Departure: Patriots Kyle Van Noy Leaving Again for AFC Rival?

The Patriots veteran linebacker is meeting with the Chargers and could be departing New England for the second time.

Jeremy Brener | May 5, 2022

The New England Patriots could be losing another key piece to their defense to an AFC rival.

Kyle Van Noy

According to NFL Network, veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy is meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers and the two sides could come to an agreement quickly if the meeting goes well.

Van Noy, 31, returned to the Patriots last season after playing one year with AFC East rival Miami Dolphins. Before his year in Miami, Van Noy spent four seasons with the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls. However, the veteran was cut in March to save $4.1 million in cap space.

Van Noy was a part-time starter last season in his second stint in New England, starting eight of the 16 games he played in. He recorded 66 tackles, five sacks and his first interception since 2018.

If Van Noy leaves the Patriots for the Chargers, he would join New England teammate J.C. Jackson, who signed there earlier this offseason.

Considering the fact that the Pats have yet to sign Van Noy this offseason, there might not be a path for him to return to Bill Belichick's defense. Curiously, though, among the Patriots' 10 draft picks were no linebackers.

Mack Wilson

Kyle Van Noy

Dont'a Hightower

The team did trade for Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson in a deal that sent Chase Winovich out of town, and he's projected to take on a starting linebacker role alongside Ja'Whaun Bentley.

Van Noy's longtime teammate Dont'a Hightower, who spent 10 seasons in New England, is also a free agent that has yet to be signed.

The Patriots' loss is about to become some other team's gain, and the Chargers are the next in line to make it all happen.

Published May 5, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.