It seems as if the Cowboys pulled off the Band-Aid on the Leighton Vander Esch situation. Speaking on 105.3 the Fan Tuesday, Dallas owner Jerry Jones announced their star LB would miss the remainder of the season following a neck injury suffered in Week 5.
Initially there were hopes the 27-year-old would return from IR at some point in 2023. But the severity and nature of the injury coupled with his history of neck issues made that little more than wishful thinking. Now the reality has set in and Dallas must settle in to their alternative options for the remainder of the season.
As for Vander Esch’s long-term prognosis, it’s likely nothing will be decided officially until the offseason. But the short-term fallout is something that needs to be recognized. Reinforcements are not on the way this season and aside from some possible low-level churning, this is the LB squad Dallas has from here on out.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan says LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) is officially out for the season. “It’s a very significant loss for us. We just wish him well.” Jones declined to say if he thinks this injury will be career-ending for Vander Esch
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 14, 2023
Even for a team like the Cowboys, who run very little base defense and rely heavily on their safeties in big nickel groups, they are desperately thin at the LB position. Only Damone Clark and Micah Parsons are listed as official LBs on the active roster.
Granted, Parsons is primarily an EDGE and Markquese Bell is a LB in most senses of the job description, but the point remains: they are thin and possibly an injury away from disaster.
When the postseason nears and yards get tough, having legit LBs on the field will be key. Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson are nice in a pinch and can serve many of the LB responsibilities, but they have limitations against the run.
While Dallas has multiple options on their practice squad, Clark and Bell are the only true starting level entities on the roster. Preserving them for the season is paramount because they represent the Cowboys best efforts at LB and especially at run defense.