The signing of veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks sent a delightful shockwave through a desperate Dallas Cowboys fanbase on Wednesday night. But while Kendricks brings some unique experience to the group, he also seems to fill the same space on the roster as Leighton Vander Esch. This move would seem to validate, at least partially, previous rumors that Vander Esch won’t be with Dallas next season due to his ongoing neck issues.

After two relatively healthy seasons from 2021-2022, Vander Esch’s injury woes returned last year as he only played in five games. He’s worn a neck brace since college and that condition came up in his second NFL season, both costing him games and affecting his play when he was on the field. Even in 2022 he missed four games with a neck stinger, and obviously it was much worse last season.

There was talk last year when Vander Esch went to injured reserve that it could be a career-threatening situation. Then last month, while giving updates on some injured players, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones had plenty to share about the progress of Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown but got tight-lipped quickly when asked about Vander Esch. Either it’s still a big unknown, or there’s an announcement that they’re just waiting to make.

Signing Kendricks doesn’t necessarily mean Vander Esch is gone. The Cowboys LB room needed more bodies, especially if new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer isn’t going to use safeties the way Dan Quinn did. And with Vander Esch only counting $4.4 million against the 2024 cap, plus Overshown and Damone Clark still being on rookie deals, the overhead at linebacker is small enough that Kendricks could be added without any subtractions. Plus, Kendricks’ experience with Zimmer from Minnesota could make him a valuable transition aid to the new scheme for everyone, including Vander Esch.

Still, Kendricks’ on-field role in Dallas will be what Vander Esch has done the last few years as a primary run-stopper. He’s also likely to be the “green dot” player, receiving calls from the coaches and relaying them to the rest of the defense, as Vander Esch did for Quinn. It would be unorthodox to go from a 28-year-old to a 32-year-old as the leader in your LB room, unless you don’t think the younger guy is going to be available.

Even if Vander Esch doesn’t retire, the Cowboys may not want to carry the risk any longer. They can get back $2.15 million in cap space if he’s released. They get that same amount back if he announces his retirement, having just one year left on his current contract. It won’t matter if it happens now or after June 1st.

But if Dallas intended to release him, they’d have probably done it before free agency opened. This feels more like they’re giving a six-year veteran time to work out the process with his doctors, agent, family, and whoever else before he makes a much bigger decision. It’s one thing to let a guy go find work elsewhere, it’s another when he’s probably played his last snap. That seems to be where this is headed.

Again, Eric Kendricks would be a welcome addition whether Leighton Vander Esch stays or goes. But that Dallas made this move, given their inactivity elsewhere on the roster, speaks to how concerned they are with their linebacker position. Talk that Vander Esch is going to retire was already out there, so adding Kendricks would seem to lend more credence to that rumor.