Cowboys post tribute to Leighton Vander Esch following injury news

The Dallas Cowboys posted a tribute to injured linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on Tuesday following news that he will not only miss the remainder of the 2023 season, but is also at risk of ending his career due to the neck injury that landed him on IR.

The team shared the latest update with a photo of the linebacker howling during a game, adding a blue heart and wolf emoji. Vander Esch had 30 tackles in five games before suffering the neck injury against the 49ers.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that Vander Esch won’t return this season. He also noted that his future in the sport is potentially at risk but there are “a lot of factors involved.”

💙🐺

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 14, 2023

“We had just completely left it up to how he was evolving, but of course it’s such a very significant loss for us,” Jones told the hosts of 105.3 The Fan 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.”

If this is the end of Vander Esch’s career, it will be a disappointing conclusion to what started as a very promising first-round selection. So far, he’s racked up 469 total tackles in regular season games with 25 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Vander Esch’s career in jeopardy

The Cowboys drafted Vander Esch with the No. 18 overall pick out of Boise State in the 2018 NFL Draft. That same year, he earned a Pro Bowl nod. However, neck injuries impacted his ability to stay on the field in the following seasons. In 2019, he missed seven games. In 2020, he missed another six games and underwent surgery.

“Let’s just put it like this, I don’t know and there are a lot of factors involved,” Jones responded in regards to whether the injury could end Vander Esch’s career. “He just really needs to see how this continues to heal and then go from that point as to whether or not he’ll want to expose himself to injury.”

If the linebacker can get healthy, he still has one year remaining on his contract with Dallas. In the offseason, the Cowboys inked Vander Esch to a two-year deal worth $11 million with $5 million guaranteed and a $2.5 million signing bonus. That contract agreement came in March after spending the 2022 campaign on a one-year deal.

Since the starting middle linebacker has been out, Markquese Bell and Damone Clark have been stepping up. Bell has 43 tackles so far this season, including 3.5 tackles for loss. Lined up next to him, Clark has 60 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss. Clark is in his second year out of LSU. The Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

To help with depth issues, the Cowboys elevated linebacker Rashaan Evans from the practice squad for gameday against the Rams, Eagles and Giants.