Mike McCarthy: Leighton Vander Esch to receive MRI on Monday after exit from Jaguars matchup

Dallas Cowboys former first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch will undergo an MRI on his neck on Monday, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy shared the team’s concerns for the linebacker’s health after the 40-34 loss to Jacksonville on the road on Sunday.

“Everyone around here is concerned based on just his history,” McCarthy said, via Todd Archer. “But I mean just look at last week. He was a huge factor in his play, 14 tackles and all of those things… Hopefully, he’ll be fine.”

The former Boise State standout has dealt with neck injuries in the past with the Cowboys. He had a procedure in January of 2020 to relieve a nerve issue.

Coming off of his most productive performance of the season versus the Houston Texans last week, the linebacker went to the sideline with a neck injury on the first drive of the game. Vander Esch was initially questionable to return. After halftime, the team announced he would sit out for the rest of the game.

After an evaluation in the medical tent on the sideline, the 2018 first-round draft pick went to the locker room for further evaluation. Damone Clark replaced him in the following defensive series.

The Cowboys seemed to feel his absence as the Jaguars totaled 503 yards of offense and went 8-12 on third down. A win would have clinched the team’s spot in the playoffs, but they clinched just a few hours later anyway as Washington fell to the New York Giants.

Cowboys fall to Jacksonville following early exit from Vander Esch

Last week as the Cowboys trailed Houston, Vander Esch came up with 14 stops, including two tackles for loss. So far on the season, he has a team-leading 90 tackles with one sack and four tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble versus the Bears in October.

The Cowboys selected Vander Esch in the first round with the 19th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. During the offseason, they signed him to a new one-year deal worth $2 million.

As a rookie in 2018, Vander Esch burst onto the scene. In 2018, he totaled 140 tackles with two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and two interceptions along with seven passes defended. He was named a second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler as a rookie. The next two years were plagued by injuries for Vander Esch, as he played in 19 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

During the 2019 season, he totaled 72 tackles with one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. In 2020, Vander Esch had 60 tackles with one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. This past season, he played in all 17 regular season games with the Cowboys, totaling 77 tackles, four tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and an interception. He also had 13 tackles in the Cowboys playoff game this past year.