From then on, things became much more difficult for him, largely due to injury. After battling neck issues at Boise State, similar issues began to appear at the NFL level. A nerve issue in his neck forced him to undergo surgery in 2019 in hopes of repairing the issue, ending his sophomore season with a move to injured reserve.
He returned in 2020, but another surgery sent him back to injured reserve for a period before returning that same season to finish with 60 combined tackles in 10 starts.
The next two seasons were much more promising for Vander Esch, free of major injuries and making a combined 30 starts, putting together a resurgent 2022 season with a one-year contract extension.
A two-year extension was agreed to in March 2023, and Vander Esch, who was also former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s green point, got off to another strong start before suffering the latest injury in early October against the San Francisco 49ers.
He would not return to that game, nor to the remainder of the 2023 season, and now it is decided that he will not wear his Cowboys uniform again. The player affectionately referred to as the “Wolf Hunter” leaves a void that the Cowboys won’t easily fill, but will have no choice but to get to work to fill; and his hope is that newly hired Eric Kendricks can help.
Vander Esch had 469 combined tackles in Dallas, along with 13 pass breakups and three interceptions, and continues to weigh his options regarding his NFL future.
2024-03-15 20:20:21
#Cowboys #LVE #part #ways #season
