'Relax A Little Bit': Kyle Van Noy Challenges Former Teammate Justin Herbert To Step Up

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

LOS ANGELES – As an elder statesman in the NFL, Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Kyle Van Noy won’t mince words when it comes to those he’s mentored – including Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

“Part of me says [Herbert] needs to relax a little bit, because he cares so much,” Van Noy told me. “He’s a perfectionist. Just go out there and play ball.”

Van Noy, who continues to defy his age by finishing with a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2024 and reaching his first Pro Bowl in his 11th NFL season, was a teammate of Herbert’s during the 2022 campaign.

The Bolts made the playoffs, but suffered an embarrassing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars as they blew a 27-0 lead.

Van Noy shared a locker next to the talented signal caller that year, which was his only one with the Chargers. He noticed Herbert’s work ethic, calling him a layered “onion” as the two became close in that lone season.

“If he was able to give what he gave to me for a year to everybody else in the locker room, I think it would change people’s perception of him,” Van Noy added. “You’ve already accomplished so much. I know he wants to accomplish even more, but I do feel like he takes the game very seriously. The one thing I will say about Justin is he works really hard, and I appreciate that as a teammate. But sometimes you don’t have to work as hard. Let’s take a step back for just a second and diagnose – am I doing other parts of the game like the film study enough?”

While he believes the Chargers still need to add more playmakers around Herbert to make his job easier and that he’s been hampered by the constant change of offensive coordinators, Van Noy said he also needs to shoulder some of the blame for a 41-40 overall NFL record (including postseason) and no playoff wins.

Van Noy went on to say he believes Herbert must work to create better connections with his teammates.

“I do think he’s doing some things,” Van Noy said. “He would go to team dinners, but I think he could also do more. And that’s just me from my year of being with him. He’s still young. And I’m sure he’s way better now than since I was there. But that was just something he could do even more.”

Justin Herbert suffered his second playoff loss this past season, losing to the Texans in a blowout. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Van Noy delivered these candid comments while attending the NFL’s player personal branding and social workshop in late June.

The BYU product is continuing to work on opportunities in television and content creation once his career is over, and part of that is in giving unfiltered opinions based on his experience playing in the league. Van Noy has appeared on FS1’s “The Herd” along with NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” and ESPN’s “NFL Live.”

“This has been more educational on, ‘OK, once I’m done, what lane do I want to go in?’” Van Noy told me. “Do I want to go the content creation route? The broadcasting route? Or is this not what I want to do, and do I want to do something else? So, it’s just been very valuable information.”

The 34-year-old has totaled 21.5 sacks over the last two seasons, tied for 10th overall during that span.

So, what’s the secret to Van Noy’s success this late in the game? Always known for his versatility, Van Noy has focused on getting after the quarterback later in his career to make game-changing plays more frequently, which has led to more production.

“I have a lot of juice left,” the two-time Super Bowl champ told me. “And if I keep producing and playing the way that I’m playing, I can see myself continue to play. … A lot of it for me has been my mindset. And then I’ve always felt like I was underappreciated. Just that chip on my shoulder brings me back. I love playing on Sundays and I relate to people.”

Kyle Van Noy has had two of the best seasons of his career with the Ravens, recording 21.5 sacks over the last two years. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Entering his third season with the Ravens, Van Noy said he’s appreciative of his fellow teammates for an improved defense in 2024, including safety Kyle Hamilton, linebacker Roquan Smith and fellow pass rushers Odafe Oweh and Nnamdi Madubuike.

Van Noy also gives credit to defensive coordinator Zach Orr for his growth in a new position after taking over for the departed Mike Macdonald last season. Van Noy believes Orr will one day make a great head coach.

But the straw that stirs the drink for the Ravens is two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

“He’s a special dude,” Van Noy said. “I tell everybody he’s 1-of-1 as a human being. He’s one of my favorite teammates. I just enjoy being around him. It doesn’t matter who you are, he makes you feel like you’re the man. And I appreciate a quarterback at his superstar level, being able to hang out with anybody.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a practice squad dude or Derrick Henry, he vibes with everybody. And I think that’s what gravitates the whole locker room toward him and respects him so much, is he just hangs out.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.

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