FRISCO (105.3 The Fan) - It was first labeled as a "stinger.'' Then it became a "herniated disk.'' And finally, in mid-January, Leighton Vander Esch underwent neck surgery to deal with "cervical spinal stenosis.''
Early last week, at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the update on the linebacker's prognosis from COO Stephen Jones was that the non-invasive neck surgery was a success.
“The feedback is good,'' said Stephen, who added that Vander Esch will have “limitations” up until training camp when the team can hopefully “turn him loose.”
But then late last week at the Combine, owner Jerry Jones took the stage.
“He’s 100 percent in my eyes,'' Jerry said. "100 percent.''
Jerry himself will frequently point out the humor in him playing "Dr. Jerry.'' But his takes on injury issues are usually a blend of his innate optimism and reports he's been handed directly from Cowboys medical personnel.
What we've been told about the process (which was likely about creating more space in the spine in Vander Esch's neck area) and the rehab: It can take six weeks after surgery for the patient to make "regular movements'' while avoiding twisting and lifting and the like. It can take six months for a full recovery, with a 90-percent chance of that full recovery.
That puts Vander Esch, 23, on course to theoretically be healthy by mid-July, right before the start of Cowboys training camp in Oxnard. The opportunity for Vander Esch to recapture his 2018 rookie-year brilliance and put behind him 2019 (when he played only played in nine games and was clearly plagued with discomfort) exists ... with time.
Concerns about Vander Esch's neck may never fully go away. In that sense, the "100-percent'' observation seems high. ... and the "limitations'' prognosis seems right.