Kyle Van Noy was among the players at the center of the bad blood between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins at the end of last season's Week 1 game at Gillette Stadium.
The Dolphins had just lost to the Patriots in Cam Newton's first game as New England's starting quarterback. Van Noy and other Dolphins were seen exchanging trash talk with Newton after the game, and one Miami player even tried to grab the Patriots QB's gold chain.
Van Noy recently returned to the Patriots on a one-year contract in free agency, and he's hoping to sit down with Newton over dinner and get to know the former league MVP a little more.
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SIGN UP HERE “Of course. I want to talk to Cam,” Van Noy told reporters in his first video conference since signing with the Patriots. “I feel like me and Cam have a similar mindset, and that’s to win. And I’m excited to work with him.
"I’ve heard nothing but good things. I think everybody’s going to be excited after hopefully we have dinner -- I’ll pay for it -- and just hopefully get to know each other better.”
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Van Noy also downplayed the trash talk between him and his former team last season. The Dolphins and Patriots split their two meetings, with each team winning on its home field.
“I think everybody blows it out of proportion when there’s trash-talking in football,” Van Noy explained. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of the game.
"Some players are better than others. Some have terrible jokes, some have good ones. Some can get under your skin, some can’t. It’s part of the game. I don’t think anyone takes it personal. If they do, that’s their deal.”
Van Noy is excited to get the band back together with fellow linebacker Dont'a Hightower next season. The Patriots were without both linebackers last season after Van Noy signed with the Dolphins in free agency and Hightower opted out of the 2020 campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The additions of Van Noy, Hightower and free agent signing Matthew Judon should give the Patriots a much better group of linebackers in 2021.