Cowboys Star will not play Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Dallas Cowboys avoided worse.
The neck injury that the linebacker suffered from Sunday’s game was reported to have caused him to leave the game. Mike McCarthy , the head coach, expressed concern considering Vander Esch’s past neck problems.
An MRI showed that the 26-year old had a right shoulder stinger, which was not related to his neck. According to Michael Gehlken from the Dallas Morning News McCarthy, Vander Esch will not be able to compete in their Week 16 division showdown.
“We were fortunate. It was much better than we thought,” McCarthy said. “He will not be available this week. I know that.”
This was very fortunate. Hopefully Cox or Gifford will be ready. We could call up Takk, but I'm not sure if they would use him in a stand up role. May need to add someone to the practice squad. There are plenty of vet LB's who would fit that are available.
— MaddCowboy_TakesNoPrisoners (@LeroyT47258051) December 19, 2022
Although Saturday’s matchup is huge on paper, it won’t have any impact on the Cowboys playoff outlook. They secured a playoff spot on Sunday night, but they would need to win three games and lose three Eagles games to win the division.
Vander Esch has been a solid player this season with 90 tackles. Dallas can therefore be cautious about Vander Esch. This was the former first-round selection who enjoyed his best season since he made it to the Pro Bowl in 2018 as a rookie.
When hosting the Eagles, the Cowboys will be looking to rebound from their overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This Saturday at 4:25 PM, the Eagles will likely without Jalenhurts. ET.