The NFL agrees with Miami Dolphins: Linebacker Kyle Van Noy was going to be overpaid
The Miami Dolphins believe Kyle Van Noy would have been overpaid in 2021, and the NFL’s other 31 teams have signaled that they agree.
The Dolphins cut Van Noy Wednesday after finding no team willing to take on the rest of his contract, which was set to pay him more than $36 million during the final three years.
The organization informed Van Noy last week that he would be one and done in Miami after signing a four-year, $51 million deal last spring. But the Dolphins didn’t cut him right away, instead waiting to see if they could find a trade partner.
Turns out they couldn’t, and the Dolphins cut the veteran linebacker Wednesday, saving $12.5 million in salary and $9.8 million against the cap in 2021 alone.
Van Noy will surely find work, but at a reduced salary. Mike Clay of ESPN lists Van Noy as the fourth-best linebacker in free agency (not including edge defenders), behind Tennessee’s Jaylon Brown, Buffalo’s Matt Milano and Seattle’s K.J. Wright.
Van Noy’s stats during his short time in Miami: 14 games (13 starts), 69 tackles (10 for loss), six sacks, two fumble recoveries and 18 quarterback pressures. He was also a team captain.
For that work, he earned $15 million.
But the Dolphins, with an estimated $33 million in salary cap space, believe they’re better off without him on the roster than with him — a message Van Noy received, and didn’t particularly like.
Van Noy, in a statement, said last week: “I am surprised and disappointed in their decision. As a captain, I gave my all to the team. I fought through a painful hip injury during the season, including spending a night in the hospital after a game. I was brought there to be a leader and I know my teammates looked up to and respected me. I am looking forward to making an impact on my next team, on and off the field.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 4:31 PM.
