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Cowboys lose C.J. Goodwin for year, Leighton Vander Esch likely in same boat - The Dallas Morning News

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FRISCO — When Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and cornerback C.J. Goodwin were placed last month on injured reserve, both veteran leaders maintained hope to return this season.

That won’t happen for Goodwin. It probably won’t for Vander Esch, either.

Following a recent setback, Goodwin said he plans to undergo surgery Friday to repair a torn left pectoral muscle he suffered against the San Francisco 49ers. He’s out for the year. In a less concrete situation, Vander Esch continues to work through a neck injury that forced his exit from that same Oct. 8 game. A person familiar with the matter said Monday he “most likely” will miss the season’s remainder.

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Theoretically, the Cowboys could have opened the two players’ 21-day practice window last week. That won’t happen now for Goodwin and, despite some initial optimism, is trending to be the same case with Vander Esch.

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Goodwin, 33, is expected to make a full recovery.

In the weeks following his pectoral tear, he worked with the Cowboys to strengthen his chest area, hoping to make enough progress to defer a surgery he would inevitably need.

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“I knew it was a longshot anyway,” Goodwin said. “They said they never had somebody come back from it, but they gave me the opportunity to try, and I tried. It is what it is, but I’m looking forward to getting it better and rehabbing.”

Vander Esch’s future is more complex.

Gravity surrounds any neck-related injury for the 2018 first-round pick after a bulging disk ended his second NFL season, prompting a fusion procedure in early 2020. Vander Esch made a quick recovery and returned to play better football than when he left. But it was understood at the time that, if another neck surgery occurred, that second procedure would force Vander Esch to make a difficult decision about his football future.

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It has not been decided today whether a second surgery will be required to address the current matter, a person close to the situation said.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sidestepped comment Sunday when asked about Vander Esch’s outlook following a 49-17 win over the New York Giants.

“I don’t want to dream about it, think about it, but I don’t in any way — I just want that one, we’ll see what the situation is,” Jones told reporters. “I don’t want to push the hope or anything there. Let’s just see how it plays out.”

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Cowboys lose C.J. Goodwin for year, Leighton Vander Esch likely in same boat - The Dallas Morning News
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