FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys 2018 first-round pick is returning for the 2022 season.
The club signed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to a one-year deal on Friday, keeping him in Dallas for at least a year. A key fixture in Dan Quinn’s defense will be back in the second level.
The Cowboys opted against his 2022 fifth-year option due to injury concerns last offseason and Vander Esch played in all 18 games in 2021. He concluded the season with 77 tackles (third on the defense), three tackles for loss, a sack, five quarterback pressures, an interception and two passes defensed. At times throughout the year, he returned to peak form after two injury-restricted seasons.
The Cowboys selected Vander Esch with the 19th overall pick in 2018 and immediately became a key cog in the team’s playoff run. His iconic wolf howls on the field brought fans to their feet. The Boise State product earned second team All-Pro and became the first Cowboys linebacker to be named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Vander Esch was credited with 176 tackles and injuries hindered an otherwise ascending career over the next two seasons. In 2019 and 2020, he played in 19 of 32 games while dealing with a neck injury (that led to surgery), a broken collarbone and a high ankle sprain.
Vander Esch was able to rebound and prove durable in 2021, garnering a one-year deal. Through four seasons in Dallas, Vander Esch accumulated 349 tackles, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and eight tackles for loss. He will continue to play with NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and hybrid sensation, Micah Parsons. Parsons quickly emerged as the team’s best defender and queen chess piece last year on the gridiron. Vander Esch adds depth to a linebacker group with only Parsons and Jabril Cox under contract. The Cowboys 2021 fourth-round pick, Cox, is working his way back from an ACL injury that derailed his rookie campaign.
Dallas will still have to add talent to their linebacker corps. Keanu Neal (unrestricted) and Francis Bernard (exclusive rights) are free agents and still unsigned. The Cowboys agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Luke Gifford, per his agent Brett Tessler. He returns to Dallas on a team-friendly deal in 2022, adding depth at linebacker and will serve as a core special teams player.
