Cowboys get needed positive injury update on key defensive player
The Dallas Cowboys received a positive injury update on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, which bodes well for a smoother path through the playoffs.
As playoff-bound teams trudge through December, they need all the help they can get. While some players injured early in the season have hopes for a late return, players injured now could influence the team’s trajectory, as well as its playoff seeding.
Fortunately for the Dallas Cowboys, they’ll be getting a defensive boost in the near future, thanks to an updated injury diagnosis for linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
The MRI on #Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch actually revealed a right shoulder stinger, not a neck injury, source said. 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
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2022
Vander Esch exited in the first quarter of the Cowboys’ Week 15 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and a possible neck injury was initially cited as the cause. However, as Rapoport affirmed, medical scans conclude that the issue is in his shoulder rather than his neck, assuring Cowboys fans that this development is “overall good news.”
Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch slated to return from shoulder injury soon
In the NFL, neck and spine injuries can easily prove dangerous, which is why damaging the nervous system is a serious threat to a player’s health and career. Of course, players with these injuries carefully monitor the situation and plan a safe return, as Vander Esch has done in the past with previous neck injuries.
Vander Esch missed seven games in the 2019 season due to a neck injury, which required surgery in January 2020. The linebacker then recovered for the next four months, which is why if he incurred another injury on Sunday, it’s possible Vander Esch would have been looking at a similar timetable.
Thankfully, this injury crisis has been averted, and it’s worth noting that Vander Esch has taken precautions to prevent injuries to his neck. Vander Esch now sports a neck roll that he says absorbs the “shock” of onfield collisions.
While Dallas fans await further details, the good news is that Vander Esch will likely retake the field as the Cowboys barrel towards the postseason.
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