Dallas Cowboys designate cornerback Nahshon Wright for return from IR

The injuries have been piling up for the Dallas Cowboys over the last couple weeks and they were hit especially hard in their Week 5 loss to the 49ers. However, head coach Mike McCarthy announced ahead of the Week 6 game against the Chargers that cornerback Nahshon Wright is finally designated for a return from injured reserve after missing the first five weeks of the season.

Wright now has a 21-day window to return to the active roster. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in the preseason game versus Jacksonville, making two tackles before making his exit.

Prior to his injury, Wright was the No. 2 cornerback behind Trevon Diggs. However, after Diggs tore his ACL, rookie DaRon Bland moved from nickel to the starting role opposite Stephon Gilmore. With Wright now close to a return to play, the Cowboys could once again switch up the lineup in the secondary.

Wright is in his third year for Dallas after the team drafted him with the No. 99 pick in the third round in 2021.

The Oregon State alum posted 23 tackles in seven games last season with one interception. As a rookie, Wright had nine tackles in 13 appearances. He is currently playing on a four-year deal for $4.78 million.

Leighton Vander Esch moves to Cowboys’ Injured Reserve

As expected, the Dallas Cowboys are moving starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to Injured Reserve on Thursday, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. 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.