Cowboys ‘keep hands around’ Leighton Vander Esch following linebacker’s potential career-ending neck injury

Cowboys ‘keeping hands close’ with Leighton Vander Esch due to linebacker’s neck injury

FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Cowboys quarterback Leighton Vander Esch has a big decision to make regarding his football future after his second injury-riddled season.

He suffered the injury during the team’s 42-10 loss to San Francisco on Sunday Night Football in Week 5, and the injury remains. So the Cowboys shut him down for the rest of the game. 2023 season.

He underwent fusion surgery after missing the final nine games of the 2019 season with a neck injury.

Vander Esch also suffered a broken collarbone during the 2020 season.
His neck injury dates back to his college days at Boise State.

At the time, he was sidelined in 2016 with a pinched nerve. Dallas also selected him 19th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Vander Esch earned his only Pro Bowl selection as a rookie.

Now, the Cowboys are doing everything they can to support Vander Esch, who is considering retirement and prioritizing his long-term health over staying in the NFL. “We’ve had some conversations,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday.

“Obviously he’s still processing it, but the most important thing for the football staff and the locker room is that he’s here [to support him]. This is not just a conversation or a chat. I think the most important thing is to give yourself time and space to deal with it.

It’s not the first time something like this has happened to him, he has a history.
What awaits him personally? All of these things play a role. I hope he can be part of that development.”

“That’s a tough one, Leighton is a big player not only on defense but on the team,” Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said.

“It’s hard to lose a guy and a teammate, to see a guy that tried to help us and put in so much effort to help him succeed.
We’re all rooting for Leighton, and he’s a tough guy. “I don’t show it often, but we hold hands and let you know you’re by my side.”

Kers revealed the factors that influenced Vander Esch’s decision, including the child he had with his wife, Maddie.
“Absolutely,” Keirs said when asked if Vander Esch’s injury made him think about his death in football.

“We are fathers, brothers and sons.
Playing sports is a small part of our life.
We have been doing this for a long time, but you have to understand how many years we have invested in football.

You will go years without playing football. I have children.
Layton is pregnant. There’s a lot to think about while you’re talking.

When we are young we talk a lot but as we grow up we realize that and the things we have can’t be replicated and money can’t buy them. Family and stuff like that.

With such a serious injury and his recent injury status, he has to think a lot about those consequences when making decisions.

“It’s a difficult thing to deal with and you don’t have to take it personally.
Therefore, I cannot even imagine what emotions and thoughts are going through his mind.

Something on that scale. All we can do in this building is hug him and tell him we support him. That’s why we’re here.”

Marques Bell and the Next Generation Talent Mindset

The Cowboys have battled a string of injuries since training camp when 2023 third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown suffered a torn ACL.

The player who later emerged as the fastest and most important linebacker was Florida A&M safety Marques Bell, who moved to linebacker due to an injury in training camp.

Bell now has an 86.4 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, making him the eighth-best quarterback in the NFL.
His PFF coverage grade of 87.8 ranks fifth in the league at the position.

“I’m very proud of [Marquez],” Kearse said. “If a guy who’s ready to work tells him one day he’s going to play linebacker, he’s got to go out there and perform.

That’s great. He hasn’t played a game yet. He had his best game yet.
” I want to see how it feels to put them all together. Cover, run, tackle the ball and make a play. All of that is happening as he gets more comfortable as a linebacker.”

His 43 tackles are second on the team behind sophomore teammate Damon Clark, a 2022 fifth-round pick out of LSU.

“They’ve done a really good job, I think they should be impressed,” McCarthy said of the young players who have stepped up this season.

“Every time we’ve made a change during the season, the guys have put in effort and been very productive.
[Their production levels] are special, but it’s something we’ve been dealing with in training camp.

I think it prepares people to move into subpackages and cover other areas and so on.

That’s how this season goes. Sometimes you are in a position where you are under more pressure than others.
We still have a lot of work to do.”

“My husband, Damon and I have been together for the past year,” Bell said.
“We’re both learning, but we’re teaching each other things.

I was a security guard, so if I try to tell you what I saw behind the scenes, he can tell me.” “We play with each other to help each other grow.”

Both Bell and Clark reached their positions thanks to Vander Esch’s guidance.

“Leighton is a great mentor and a great leader for this team,” Bell said.
“It’s sad that he lost like this, but we love him and pray for him.

He is now on the sidelines with us.
He is like any other coach.
It’s always been there, but it’s definitely helping me find my way as a linebacker.

He’s a great guy. It’s tough. He is a leader. This is a huge loss. He was a great communicator. He always gets everyone where they need to go, especially me.”

“He met us, we have a group text and he always texts us whenever he can,” Clark said. “He’s there. It doesn’t matter if he’s there or not. Layton is still pouring his heart out to us, telling us what he sees and coaching us from the sidelines.”

One of Vander Esch’s biggest lessons for Bell and Clark was to relax and play with the ball.

When asked what was the best advice Vander Esch gave him, Bell said, “Play fast and we’ll see if you’re right.” “Family is what I’m made of. We make mistakes. We are young. If you play fast, you will trust your intuition and God-given abilities. You can’t go wrong knowing you’re here for the long haul.”

Long live, if Vander Esch decides to retire from football, everyone in the Cowboys locker room will understand.

“When he got hurt earlier this year, I talked to him about decisions about football and life. I thought about your attitude and how difficult it is to make those decisions,” Clark said.

“When you play football your whole life, sometimes that’s all. I know life and football are two important things to me, but obviously your health is more important.

I want to walk on my own two feet.
I’m angry and I don’t want to run away.
It’s a shame what happened to Layton, but he’s a strong man. Leighton is still with us. He is not there and we know him as well as you do.

“He’s a fighter when he goes out there, but you have to look at the bigger picture. It is very difficult, especially since I have had such injuries in the past.
It’s hard for him to miss the rest of the season. It will be hard for everyone.
Yes, I think going on my own is more important to me. “It’s Layton’s decision.”

The Cowboys have the fourth-highest scoring defense in the NFL in 2023, allowing 18.3 points per game despite losing Vander Esch in Week 5 and two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs in Week 3 against Arizona Cardinals.
Actually, his ACL.

Fifth-round pick DaRon Bland’s five catches since 2022, including three pick-sixes (a single-season Cowboy record), are tied for second in the NFL and also lead the NFL.

He gave up at least 25 pass attempts with a 17.5 passer rating, his lowest this season. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was happy and proud that his young former backups shined by “honoring” Vander Esch and Diggs.

“It’s difficult to reduce or increase the ball-carrying ability of players who excel on the outside and can hold the ball,” Quinn said Monday.

“Both Tre and DaRon have those skills.
If you have it, it’s unique. They have a natural ability to find and track the ball in motion. These are the things that make them special. We will miss Tre not being here.

But knowing that the torch has only been passed this season, DaRon seems willing to accept it. We talk a lot about Tre. The same goes for Layton.
I’m so excited for people to get into this space. “This is a great way to honor the way he plays.”