Dallas Cowboys BREAKING: Leighton Vander Esch - MRI on Neck ‘Good News’

Vander Esch, of course, has a neck issue history that factored in to Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy voicing a high level of “concern” when discussing it.

FRISCO - The MRI on Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is in … and it has revealed good news.

As first reported by NFL Network, the MRI needed following Vander Esch’s exit from Sunday’s OT loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars “actually revealed a right shoulder stinger, not a neck injury.”

Vander Esch, of course, has a neck issue history that factored in to coach Mike McCarthy voicing a high level of “concern” when discussing it.

But the MRI and a CT scan cleared up the diagnosis as a stinger.

The MRI on #Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch actually revealed a right shoulder stinger, not a neck injury, source said. While he did have a neck issue a years ago, the MRI and CT scan cleared it and this issue is unrelated. He’s still sore and may miss time, but overall good news

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2022

NFL Network notes that Vander Esch is “still sore and may miss time, but overall good news” .. while also stating that the shoulder stinger is completely unrelated to any previous neck issue.

That does relieve some of the Cowboys Nation heartbreak of the Sunday loss at Jacksonville on a mixed-bag day (as other results mean the Cowboys clinch a playoff spot). … especially in light of the coach’s comments.

"I think everybody's concerned based on his history," coach Mike McCarthy said.

The former first-round pick has been playing at a high level. Vander Esch entered Sunday's game with 90 tackles and as McCarthy said, "Look at how we played last week when he was a huge factor in his play. 14 tackles and all those things."

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