Cowboys News: Leighton Vander Esch Ahead of Schedule in Rehab from Neck Injury

The struggling Dallas Cowboys defense could get Leighton Vander Esch back from a broken collarbone sooner than originally anticipated. 

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday that Vander Esch is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery but stopped short of putting a timetable on when he might play in games:

"He's definitely champing at the bit to get back, there's no question about that. But obviously there's medical procedures and process that he must go through and clear. But the doctors and the trainers feel really good about where he is. If I would go off of my personal communication with him, he would've played in Week 2. So he's really pushing it and wants to get back. We have to make sure he's clear and ready to go."

Vander Esch suffered the injury in Dallas' season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 13. It was his first appearance since Week 11 last year following a neck injury that required surgery in January. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Vander Esch was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after an MRI confirmed his broken collarbone. 

The Cowboys put Vander Esch on injured reserve, making this week the first time he was eligible to practice with the team. He was activated off IR to return to practice on Wednesday. 

Assuming the six-week timeline is the date Dallas will target for Vander Esch to play in games, that would put him on track to play against the Washington Football Team on Oct. 25. The 24-year-old has recorded 215 combined tackles and 10 pass breakups in 26 career games since 2018.