DALLAS (AP) — With the release of receiver Michael Gallup and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on Friday, the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with two of their top three draft selections from 2018.
Following a neck injury that kept him out of action for 12 games in 2023, Vander Esch was released with a failed physical designation. The 28-year-old had a neck injury for the fourth time since 2019 that was deemed potentially fatal to his career.
Vander Esch underwent fusion surgery after receiving a diagnosis of a thin spinal column following his initial neck injury in 2019. His most recent injury occurred in Week 5 of last year’s game against San Francisco when he was shoved from behind and smashed his neck into the right leg of teammate Micah Parsons.
Prior to the Cowboys draft, Vander Esch experienced neck problems while attending Boise State.drafted him in the first round, and in addition to making his only Pro Bowl, he set a club rookie record with 176 tackles.
Dallas rejected the rookie contract’s fifth-year option, in part due to the neck problems, but signed him back for a one-year contract in 2022. Vander Esch’s two-year contract was up after one year.
