Former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch to retire after six seasons

Former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch is reportedly retiring from the NFL following his release from the team last week, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The team released him with a failed physical designation and it appears that the injury he suffered to his neck during the 2023 season will now officially end his NFL career. He announced his decision officially on Monday afternoon in a post on Instagram.

Vander Esch went on Injured Reserve after Week 5 due to a neck injury and never made it back to the active roster. There was concern at the time that the former first-rounder would miss not only the rest of the season due to injury, but also potentially end his career.

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Through the first five games of the 2023 season before injury, Vander Esch tallied 30 tackles, including 17 solo stops. He has also recovered one fumble. 

Injuries to the neck area have been an ongoing concern for Vander Esch since the 2019 season when he missed seven games. He also missed time last year because of a neck injury. A former first-round selection out of Boise State, the 2023 season was his sixth with Dallas.

In the offseason, the Cowboys inked Vander Esch to a two-year deal worth $8 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.

Vander Esch retires with one second-team All-Pro year on his resume from the 2018 season. He also earned a Pro Bowl nomination as a rookie. Over six seasons, he accumulated 469 tackles with 3.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three interceptions.

Cowboys bolster LB group with Eric Kendricks signing

The Dallas Cowboys made their first outside signing in free agency on Wednesday, snagging linebacker Eric Kendricks out of the 49ers’ clutches at the 11th hour. Kendricks joins the Cowboys as he comes out of a one-year stint with the L.A. Chargers.

He was a second-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of UCLA and he made an impact in every season before going to the Chargers in free agency last year. In 2023, he had 117 tackles in 15 games played, along with 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Kendricks started in all but three games he played for in Minnesota. From the time the linebacker was a rookie, he was an impact player. In 17 games in 2022, Kendricks recorded 137 tackles and eight tackles for a loss.

Over the first nine years of his career, Kendricks has tallied 1,036 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 57 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, six recoveries and nine interceptions. He’s also played in three postseason games, racking up 19 tackles with one sack and one interception. He earned All-Pro First-Team honors and a Pro Bowl nomination after the 2019 season.