DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - With the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft less than a week away, and following the retirement of veteran Sean Lee on Monday, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of decisions facing them at the linebacker position in the coming months.
Chief among those decisions will be whether or not to exercise the fifth-year option on Leighton Vander Esch, who is nearing the end of his rookie deal.
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When asked about picking up the option on Leighton Vander Esch's 5th-year option, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said the team will wait until after the Draft to assess that situation.
“We haven't made that comment or had deep discussions on that yet," Jones told K&C Masterpiece on Monday. "That'll certainly be coming up for us, and we’ll be discussing that after the draft.”
The option, which is worth $9.145 million, would keep Vander Esch in Dallas through 2022.
Should the Cowboys choose not to exercise the option, Vander Esch would become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season, which would allow the Cowboys to either negotiate a new contract with him, or let him walk in free agency.