Cowboys considering injured reserve for LB Leighton Vander Esch after neck injury vs 49ers

The injuries continue to pile up for the Dallas Cowboys. On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that linebacker Leighton Vander Esch could be placed on injured reserve because of the neck injury he sustained during the Sunday Night Football loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Vander Esch left Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with a neck injury. Niners offensive linemen Trent Williams drove the linebacker into Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons.

Cowboys are considering placing LB Leighton Vander Esch on injured reserve due to the neck he injury he suffered during Sunday night’s loss to the 49ers.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 9, 2023

Initial X-rays on his neck Sunday turned out negative. Vander Esch underwent an MRI on Monday for further evaluation.

Through the first five games of the season, Vander Esch has tallied 30 tackles, including 17 solo stops. He has also recovered one fumble. The linebacker left Sunday’s game with 10 tackles, including one for loss.

Vander Esch, a former first-round selection out of Boise State, is in his sixth season with Dallas. He missed time last year because of a neck injury.

Leighton Vander Esch has missed time before with neck injuries

Dallas likely wants to play it smart with Vander Esch’s neck injury. The linebacker has missed time in multiple seasons with similar issues. Ensuring there’s no further damage is critical.

Vander Esch missed three games for the Cowboys last season because of the injury. He also did not play in seven contests during the 2019 campaign because of a similar issue.

If the Cowboys do place Vander Esch on the injured reserve list, it would cost him significant time. The linebacker would have to be sidelined until at least Week 10, with the league requiring all IR players to miss four weeks.

Dallas plays the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 on Monday Night Football before heading into a bye week. The Cowboys then return home to play the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 29 and travel to Philadelphia for a divisional game against the Eagles on Nov. 5. Dallas would close out that four-game stretch against the New York Giants.

Vander Esch could then return for Dallas’ road trip to Carolina for a matchup with the Panthers.

In the offseason, the Cowboys inked Vander Esch to a two-year deal worth $11 million. That contract agreement came in March after spending the 2022 campaign on a one-year deal.

Vander Esch finished 2022 with 90 tackles in the regular season. He also had a sack and six tackles for loss, as well as 20 stops in the playoffs.