Cowboys Rumors: Leighton Vander Esch Could Miss 4-6 Weeks with Neck Injury

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch could miss four to six weeks after suffering a neck strain during Sunday's 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday, per Archer, that Vander Esch could be headed to the injured reserve list, which could lead him to miss at least four games.

Vander Esch went down with a neck injury after colliding with teammate Micah Parsons in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers on Sunday. He did not return to the game.

The 19th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has accumulated 30 tackles this season, starting all five games for the Cowboys.

The former Boise State standout has been a staple of Dallas' defense since he was drafted, as his 17 solo tackles this year are tied for the team lead.

Despite their blowout loss against San Francisco, the Cowboys still have the seventh-best scoring defense in the NFL. They're only allowing 16.6 points per game with just over a quarter of the regular season in the books.

He's also recorded one tackle for loss this year and added a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown in the Cowboys' Week 4 victory over the New England Patriots.

Vander Esch has dealt with neck injuries throughout his collegiate and professional career, undergoing neck surgery in 2020 (via ESPN's Todd Archer)

If he were to be placed on IR, the 27-year-old would be forced to miss a minimum of four games before he'd be eligible to return.

In that scenario, Dallas would lean on backup linebacker and former third-round pick Malik Jefferson to handle the majority of the available snaps.

The Cowboys will attempt to mitigate the potential loss of Vander Esch when they face off against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, Oct. 16 at 8:15 p.m. ET.