The Dallas Cowboys defense has been hit hard by injuries this season. Star cornerback Trevon Diggs was the first player lost, as he injured his knee, tearing his ACL in practice, earlier in the season. The latest loss long-term loss the team suffered is linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Vander Esch was originally injured on October 8th in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. He suffered a neck injury when he jammed it into the leg of Micah Parsons after being pushed from behind.
It was a concerning development as Vander Esch has been dealing with neck issues since the Cowboys selected him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was placed on injured reserve and eligible to return this week against the New York Giants, but he remained sidelined.
Unfortunately, no return will be happening for Vander Esch this season. He was still feeling symptoms from the injury and will be shut down for the remainder of the season. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, his career is now in jeopardy as well.
“We had just completely left it up to how he was evolving, but of course it’s such a very significant loss for us,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday.
“He’s an integral part of that defense out there. We just wish him well, and just the nature of his potential injury here causes me to really think longer term and beyond what it means for next week or beyond what it means for next month. It has everything to do with what’s best in his interest.”
Injuries have unfortunately plagued Vander Esch in his professional career. He played in every game as a rookie and in the 2021 campaign, but has missed at least two games in each other season of his career. This will be the second time he was unable to play in double-digit games.
Without Vander Esch in the lineup, the Cowboys have been leaning on Damone Clark to fill the void. Converted safety Markquese Bell has been seeing playing time in sub packages since the injury. Former first-round pick Rashaan Evans was signed to the practice squad and is expected to be elevated to the 53-man roster now that his three elevations have been used.
Before the injury, Vander Esch was playing solid football for the Cowboys. He recorded 30 total tackles in five appearances with one tackle for loss, adding a fumble recovery for a touchdown as well.
Expect the Cowboys to seek out a long-term option at the linebacker spot this offseason. Without Vander Esch, it becomes one of their most pressing needs not only the remainder of the 2023 season but into the future as well.
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