Two former Dallas Cowboys favourites have said their emotional farewells to the franchise.
Leighton Vander Esch announced on Monday that he was retiring from the NFL following his release from the Cowboys on Friday.
The former linebacker ended his six-year career after a series of neck injuries stalled what started off as a stellar start to his time in Texas after the Cowboys made him the 19th-overall pick in the 2018 draft.
After turning out in just five games last season, the Cowboys made the decision to release the 28-year-old, who will now put his health first and exit the game.
"I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands," Vander Esch wrote in an open letter to announce his retirement "I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love the game of football so much, and my body won't cooperate any longer.
"I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played. This year, things may look a little different for me, but the sole focus is being a great husband and father for my loving family.”
Vander Esch turned out 71 times for the Cowboys, registering 469 tackles and earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honours in 2018.
Cowboys fans will also have to get used to life without Tyron Smith next season, after the left tackle ended his 13-year stay in Dallas.
The 32-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets after he reached free agency last week and he also penned an open letter to Dallas fans.
"Cowboy Nation," Smith posted on Instagram. "Humbly, I don't even know where to begin. ... Thirteen years sure is a long time to sum up in one short letter to thousands of people who have made my time in Dallas so memorable. It's been a long and wild ride filled with plenty of ups and downs but, Cowboy Nation, you have been here through it all.
"I will never forget the feeling of running out of the tunnel at AT&T Stadium or the roar of the crowd after a big play."
Smith made 161 starts for Dallas, earning eight trips to the Pro Bowl, was named on two first-team All-Pro teams and will now look to bolster a Jets offensive line that saw Aaron Rodgers go down with a season-ending injury in the team’s first offensive series of 2023.
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