Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch introduced Monday that he’s retiring from the NFL at time 26 nearest a six-year profession, however he’s no longer calling it quits as a result of he desires to.
“I love the game of football so much, and my body won’t cooperate any longer,” Vander Esch stated via the Dallas Cowboys website.
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Vander Esch, who has handled neck problems since his faculty taking part in days, sustained a neck shock in November 2023. That shock is now forcing him to finish his past as an NFL participant.
“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.” Vander Esch stated.
In a remark, Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones expressed his admire for LVE each as a participant and a human being.
“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,” said Jones. “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. Leighton also embodied the strong character and personal qualities that make him much more than an accomplished player.
“He was once a pace-setter and the type of teammate that impacted the ones round him in the most productive tactics. Leighton’s taking part in profession can have come to an finish, however his year may be very shining. In the name of all the Dallas Cowboys group, we’re proud that he wore the megastar on his helmet, we thank him and we want all of the perfect to Leighton, his spouse, Madalynn, and their younger daughter.”
Drafted by the Cowboys with the 19th overall pick in 2018, Vander Esch was a one-team player, spending all six years in Dallas. He was a second-team All-Pro in his rookie year and voted to the Pro Bowl after a breakout season that saw him make 140 combined tackles as well as two interceptions, but spent the next two seasons dealing with neck injuries and a broken collarbone, both of which required surgery. He was limited to 9 games in 2019 and 10 in 2020, but bounced back in 2021 with 77 combined tackles and one interception over 17 games.
Vander Esch only missed three games in 2022, his best season since his rookie campaign, then signed a two-year contract with the Cowboys. But then the vast majority of his 2023 was stolen by that neck injury. At the start of March, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported that Vander Esch was dealing with yet another neck problem, and discussions between Jones and Vander Esch’s agent had taken on a different tone.
Jerry Jones met Leighton Vander Esch’s agent to discuss his future. “It’s divorced from a call of soccer. In his case, soccer is a heavy a part of his year and his skilled year and his profession. It has to do together with his long-term well-being and long-term year.”
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) March 2, 2024
On March 15, three days before he announced his retirement, the Cowboys released Vander Esch with a failed physical designation.
LVE retires with 496 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions. Oh, and just one more important stat: one touchdown, which he scored in his last full NFL game on October 1, 2023 against the Unutilized England Patriots.
