The Baltimore Ravens fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance last season, but they got a step closer after Lamar Jackson won a second MVP award and led the team to a No. 1 seed and an AFC Championship Game appearance for the first time in his career.
The team is locked and loaded to make a push past the conference championship and into the Super Bowl, and one of the team’s veterans in particular feels like he has been “underappreciated” and is ready to lead the team to the promised land after a strong debut season with the team in 2023.
Ravens insider Sarah Ellison spoke with Kyle Van Noy recently, and the veteran said: “I feel like I’ve been underappreciated in my career. I don’t think I’ve lost a step – in my eyes – just because I’ve been playing different positions my entire career.”
Van Noy added: “I’ve been asked to do a lot, and I think that may have hindered some things because I wasn’t able to focus on pass rush or covering people. This year, stemming from last year, I was able to focus on pass rush that entire time. So, I’m expecting big things from myself, and hopefully you guys are, too.”
Van Noy put up a career-high nine sacks last season in just 14 games and forced a couple of fumbles, and the team is going to need another big year from him after losing Jadeveon Clowney and Patrick Queen from the linebacking corps in free agency.
Perhaps Van Noy is right, as he had made six stops in his NFL career for five different teams despite being a consistent contributor every step of the way.
