Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch to undergo neck surgery, has spinal stenosis
The former rookie Pro Bowler has been sidelined for the Cowboys’ past five games with a disk issue following an Oct. 20 stinger.
By Michael Gehlken
Leighton Vander Esch plans to undergo “minimally invasive” neck surgery to fix a nerve issue and will miss the remainder of the 2019 season, a source said Monday.
The former Pro Bowl linebacker has been sidelined for the Cowboys’ past five games with a bulging disk following an Oct. 20 stinger. He won’t play in their regular-season finale Sunday against the Washington Redskins or in any postseason games, if Dallas qualifies.
Vander Esch, 23, underwent an MRI exam on Monday. The plan for surgery was finalized thereafter. His procedure should occur in January, and he’s expected to resume football activities well before the July start of training camp.
An important backdrop to Vander Esch’s situation is a diagnosis predating his NFL entrance.
He has cervical spinal stenosis, a condition featuring a narrowed spinal column in the neck. One consequence for affected individuals is increased nerve sensitivity to a bulging or herniated disk, which can require surgery if more conservative treatment methods do not alleviate symptoms. Those can include numbness or tingling in limbs.
NFL teams were aware Vander Esch had the condition before the 2018 draft when the Cowboys selected the Boise State standout with the 19th overall pick.
He plays with a neck collar to help protect the area.
“From what the doctors say, I was born with stenosis,” Vander Esch said following Sunday’s 17-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. “So it’s something you’ve got to deal with. Nothing was bothering me until I got hit in Week 7. I’ve got a new set of pads being built, and I’ve been running and practicing in those. So it feels good. ... We were just saving up for playoffs hopefully, but it’s out of my control.”
This upcoming procedure is not singularly considered career-threatening, and there is no expectation it will affect his 2020 availability.
Still, the surgery carries potential long-term implications of consequence.
Dr. Neel Anand works in Los Angeles as a professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center. He has not personally evaluated Vander Esch but is familiar with spinal stenosis and disk issues in sports, having worked with current and retired athletes. Anand cautioned about NFL career longevity concerns for Vander Esch if disk problems persist.
To undergo this neck surgery once is one thing.
Should it be done again, Anand said, a serious conversation about Vander Esch’s career would be required. Essentially, the January surgery is significant because it removes an important buffer between Vander Esch and a second neck surgery that would mandate a hard look at retirement.
“If it happens again, I’m quite sure it would be a good idea not to play,” Anand said in a recent phone interview. “You’re risking the spinal cord. At the end of the day, your spinal cord takes precedence over any amount of athleticism or whatever incentives are involved. It is your spinal cord. So I think if you get it the second time around, most people would advise not to play. The risk is just too much. ... Nobody wants a spinal cord injury. No.”
For weeks, surgery was an option that Vander Esch and the Cowboys understood was on the table but nonetheless hoped to avoid.
On Sunday, he was resolved to the fact he wouldn’t play in the regular-season finale at AT&T Stadium. The team can qualify for a postseason berth Sunday with a win over the Redskins and an Eagles loss at the New York Giants. Dallas failed to clinch a playoff berth when losing Sunday to the Eagles. The team no longer controls its own playoff destiny.
Before the MRI exam, Vander Esch expressed optimism that he could play in the postseason.
He based that outlook, he said, on how his symptoms have improved.
“At this point, with the way the season is going, it probably wouldn’t be very smart to play next week,” Vander Esch said Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. “It’s one game, and it’s out of our control. If it was in our control, that’d be one thing. But it’s out of our control. If we win next week and the Eagles lose, then I’m freaking rolling [for the playoffs]. That’s what the plan has been.”
This plan no longer applies.
His season concludes with 72 tackles and one forced fumble in nine starts.
Vander Esch’s play before the Oct. 20 injury against the Eagles did not match his rookie-year production. While certainly flashing, he also saw a rise in missed tackles. Lingering neck soreness and other symptoms kept him from a chance to finish the season’s second half strong.
“He’s a good football player,” coach Jason Garrett said Monday afternoon. “I thought he continued to grow from his experience last year. Obviously, did a lot of great things for us as a rookie, and we feel like he got better. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played as much as we would have liked, and he’s been dealing with this neck injury. We’re going to do the right thing by him. This is the right thing for his career, and we do believe he’ll be back healthy and ready to play again at a very high level.”
Vander Esch became the second Cowboys linebacker recently ruled out for the season. Rookie reserve Luke Gifford suffered a fractured arm on Dec. 15. Joe Thomas also has dealt with a knee injury the past two games.
In light of these injuries, Malcolm Smith played 48 defensive snaps in Sunday’s 17-9 loss to the Eagles. He signed with the Cowboys five days earlier. He hadn’t played an NFL defensive snap since the San Francisco 49ers’ third preseason game four months ago.
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disk problems already. not looking good at the moment
