Cowboys move tight end Peyton Hendershot to injured reserve, elevate Sean McKeon

On the same day the Cowboys announced the move to injured reserve for starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, another name is also hitting IR. Tight end Peyton Hendershot will join Vander Esch on IR, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks on top of the two weeks he’s already sat out with his ankle injury.

In a corresponding move, Dallas signed tight end Sean McKeon to the active roster from the practice squad. McKeon was the odd man out of the Four Horseman when the 53-man roster deadline hit at the start of the season, but now he has a chance to contribute alongside Jake Ferguson and second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker.

Prior to his injury, Hendershot was the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart behind Ferguson. He had one reception for three yards, which came in the Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Besides Ferguson, Dallas’ tight ends haven’t contributed much positive yardage. The starter has 175 yards and a touchdown on 25 receptions while his backups have had just two catches for four yards, although one catch was also a touchdown for Schoonmaker.

Hendershot, an undrafted pickup out of Indiana now in his second season, had 11 catches, 103 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. McKeon, a Michigan alum in his fourth season, played in 13 games for Dallas last season, catching two passes for 11 yards.

Cowboys move Vander Esch to IR

The Cowboys are facing at least four weeks without Leighton Vander Esch. The veteran suffered a neck injury in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers and an MRI revealed he would need time off to recover.

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. Niners offensive lineman Trent Williams drove the linebacker into Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons. It was a move called a “slingshot” that Dallas reportedly addressed with the NFL prior to the game.

Vander Esch, a former first-round selection out of Boise State, is in his sixth season with Dallas. He missed three games for the Cowboys last season because of neck trouble. He also did not play in seven contests during the 2019 campaign because of a similar issue.

With the linebacker headed to the injured reserve list, it will cost him significant time. He’ll have to sit out until at least Week 10, with the league requiring all IR players to miss four weeks. In that span, the Cowboys play the Chargers, Rams, Eagles and Giants.

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. He 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.

The Cowboys, now 3-2, take on the Los Angeles Chargers on the road on Monday Night Football this week.