Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is medically retiring from the NFL, he announced Monday.
Vander Esch, 28, was released by the Cowboys last Friday with a failed physical designation. The 2018 first-round pick out of Boise State dealt with a series of health ailments throughout his six-year pro career.
‘I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands,’ Vander Esch said in a statement. ‘I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love the game of football so much, but 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.’
Vander Esch was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, earning the nickname ‘Wolf Hunter’ while celebrating with his howls and compiling 140 tackles, which ranked third in the NFL that season. But the linebacker, who was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis and wore a neck roll for protection on the field, missed seven games the following season with a neck injury that would require surgery.
In 2023, he missed all but five games after he was pushed from behind by San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, with Vander Esch’s helmet hitting the side of teammate Micah Parsons. A stinger in 2022 forced him to miss four games.
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‘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,’ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. ‘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.’
The Cowboys signed linebacker Eric Kendricks last week in free agency as an expected replacement.
