Leighton Vander Esch has retired after six NFL seasons following a series of neck injuries. The linebacker missed 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys last season. The announcement by the 28-year-old former first-round draft pickcame three days after Vander Esch was released by the Cowboys with a failed physical designation.
FILE - Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch walks on the field before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. Leighton Vander Esch retired Monday, March 18, 2024, after six NFL seasons, with the linebacker stepping away after missing 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys last year because of the latest in a series of neck injuries.
“I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands. I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL,” Vander Esch said in a statement. “I love the game of football so much, and my body won’t cooperate any longer. I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played.
After being the 19th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Vander Esch started 65 of the 71 games he played for Dallas. He finished with 557 career tackles. He set a club rookie record with 176 tackles and was a Pro Bowl pick in his first season.Cowboys rework Dak Prescott’s contract to reduce massive cap hit slightly, AP source saysAfter the first neck injury in 2019, Vander Esch was diagnosed with a narrow spinal column and underwent fusion surgery.
“Seldom do you come across a player like Leighton, who grew up playing eight-man football only to first play the 11-man game at the major collegiate level and excel,” Jones said. “His passion and love for the game was contagious, and from the moment he arrived, he has been a difference maker. His grit, toughness, motivation, determination and football IQ will be sorely missed.”
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