Noah Igbinoghene on fresh start with Dallas Cowboys: 'I honestly needed it'

A first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, Noah Igbinoghene entered the NFL with high expectations.

Three seasons into his career, those high expectations have not been met — not yet anyway, and not in Miami. The Dolphins sent Igbinoghene packing Tuesday, trading him to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for cornerback Kelvin Joseph.

A fresh start awaits for Igbinoghene, something he said he felt like he needed after three underwhelming seasons in Miami.

“I feel like I honestly needed it,” Igbinoghene said Thursday, via NFL.com. “I can say my career hasn’t gone up to my expectations, but I’m still young. I’m 23 years old. When I came in, I was 20 years old. There’s a lot of stuff I went through, but it made me the man I am today. I get a new, fresh start with a new opportunity and new, fresh faces.

“I get to gain my respect again on a new team and show them what I can do.”

Noah Igbinoghene looking to turn career around with Cowboys

Igbinoghene, the former Auburn standout, suited up in 32 games (five starts) for the Dolphins, recording 29 tackles (25 solo) and one interception. He often struggled in coverage, earning a 51.8 overall grade in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.

“You know my story: I went to Miami and it didn’t really go how I planned for it to go,” Igbinoghene said. “But God has blessed me with a new opportunity and a fresh start. I get to start over, start new, and I get to show this coaching staff and my new teammates what I can do so they can respect and trust me, more importantly, when I get on the field.”

Igbinoghene hopes things go much differently for him in Dallas.

“It’s a blessing,” Igbinoghene said. “I’m excited to get to work and to be a part of this team. … It’s an amazing opportunity to be here and play for this team. I’m hoping to thrive here. I’m going to put the work in and see how it goes.”