NFL insider: Leighton Vander Esch suffered shoulder stinger, not neck injury versus Jaguars
The Dallas Cowboys could be facing the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve without leading tackler Leighton Vander Esch, however, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed good news in regard to his status on Monday.
Feared to have suffered a neck injury in the loss versus Jacksonville on Sunday, the former first-round draft pick actually suffered a shoulder stinger, a source told Rapoport after the linebacker’s MRI today.
“The MRI on #Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch actually revealed a right shoulder stinger, not a neck injury, source said,” Rapoport shared. “While he did have a neck issue a years ago, the MRI and CT scan cleared it and this issue is unrelated. He’s still sore and may miss time, but overall good news.”
The Dallas Cowboys are one-point favorites versus the Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. Vander Esch’s status heading toward the divisional rivalry game is day-to-day at this point and his status will be closely monitored all week.
In an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Monday afternoon, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team expects Vander Esch back on the field this season, without sharing a more precise timeline for return.
Vander Esch cleared of neck concerns following MRI
McCarthy shared the team’s concerns for the linebacker’s health after the 40-34 loss to Jacksonville on the road on Sunday.
“Everyone around here is concerned based on just his history,” McCarthy said, via Todd Archer. “But I mean just look at last week. He was a huge factor in his play, 14 tackles and all of those things… Hopefully, he’ll be fine.”
The former Boise State standout has dealt with neck injuries in the past with the Cowboys. He had a procedure in January of 2020 to relieve a nerve issue.
Coming off of his most productive performance of the season versus the Houston Texans last week, the linebacker went to the sideline with a neck injury on the first drive of the game. Vander Esch was initially questionable to return. After halftime, the team announced he would sit out for the rest of the game.
After an evaluation in the medical tent on the sideline, the 2018 first-round draft pick went to the locker room for further evaluation. Damone Clark replaced him in the following defensive series.
The Cowboys seemed to feel his absence as the Jaguars totaled 503 yards of offense and went 8-12 on third down. A win would have clinched the team’s spot in the playoffs, but they clinched just a few hours later anyway as Washington fell to the New York Giants.