Broncos in the NFL: Former Boise State linebacker is released, may consider retirement
A former Boise State linebacker’s NFL career could be over.
The Dallas Cowboys released former Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Leighton Vander Esch with a failed physical designation on Friday.
The Cowboys picked Vander Esch No. 19 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he made noise as soon as he got into the league. He set a franchise record for most tackles in a season by a rookie with 140 and was named to the Pro Bowl, but a recurring neck injury could have him contemplating retirement.
The 28-year-old Riggins native dealt with neck injuries while at Boise State, and his second season in the NFL was cut short by a nerve issue in his neck that required surgery. He was slowed by injuries again in 2020, and he suffered another season-ending neck injury last season.
“We just wish him well, and just the nature of his potential injury here causes me to really think longer term and beyond what it means ... for next month,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during a radio interview last November. “It has everything to do with what’s best in his interest.”
Vander Esch was mostly injury-free in 2021 and again in 2022, when he posted 90 tackles in a contract year, which earned him a two-year contract extension worth $11 million last March. He played in five games last season before ending the year on injured reserve. He was due to make $4 million this year.
Vander Esch ends his six-year run with the Cowboys with 469 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 13 pass breakups and three interceptions. He played at Boise State from 2014 to 2017 and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive MVP of the conference championship game in his final season.
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 2:57 PM.
