Ravens LB Rejuvenated After Career Year

Kyle Van Noy's first season with the Baltimore Ravens was the best of his long career.

Nov 16, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (50) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

It's not often that a player has a career year in their early 30s, but Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy did just that last season.

Van Noy, now 33, signed with the Ravens in late September after David Ojabo went down with a season-ending injury. Despite getting a late start, Van Noy ended up becoming a key part of the defense and finished third on the team with nine sacks, shattering his previous career-high of 6.5 back in 2019.

The veteran linebacker has been asked to play multiple different positions throughout his career, often times in the same season. This year though, he gets to fully focus on getting after the quarterback, and he couldn't be happier about it.

"This year, stemming from last year, I was able to focus on pass rush that entire time. I feel like hopefully – it'll be like my third year ever out of my 11 that I get to focus on just pass rushing," Van Noy told reporters Thursday. "The other year was in 2019, where I had a really good year. Last year was just all pass rush. So, I'm expecting big things from myself, and hopefully you guys are, too."

Even though Van Noy is coming off a great year, joining a team in the middle of the season is always a challenge. After all, having no offseason program and meeting teammates on the fly is tought for anyone, even for a veteran like Van Noy.

This year though, having the entire offseason to build chemistry on and off the field makes a world of difference.

"Knowing them, [having] that relationship and just coming back with the guys that I already know, having that relationship with guys like Kyle Hamilton, Roquan [Smith], 'Daf' Odafe Oweh], and [David] Ojabo, guys like that that you get to come back with, [having] familiar faces and getting to know [them] better," Van Noy said. "And, knowing the defense – that helps. Coming back, and you know what you're doing – that just allows you to play a little bit faster."

After a great first season in purple and black, Van Noy signed a two-year, $10 million contract to stay with the Ravens. Now that he's back in the fold, he has some unfinished business to take care of this season, as does the rest of the team.

"We felt like it was a benefit to both parties and I'm happy to be here. [I] appreciate boss man 'Mr. B' [Owner Steve Bisciotti] and 'EDC' [executive vice president & general manager Eric DeCosta] and 'Harbs' [John Harbaugh] for making that happen. [I'm] just pumped to be back with [my] teammates and repent for our sins after last year."

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