Leighton Vander Esch's father was arrested for attempted strangulation, according to police.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Leighton Vander Esch would be retiring.
According to online records, Leighton Vander Esch's father, Darwin Vander Esch, was arrested over the weekend on charges of domestic violence.
An alleged domestic battery led to the arrest of a 61-year-old man at midnight on Sunday in Idaho.
According to online records from the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, Darwin Vander Esch was arrested for felony attempted strangulation, misdemeanor domestic battery, and misdemeanor intentional destruction of a telecommunication device.
The circumstances of the alleged incident were not immediately clear.
This year, Leighton Vander Esch announced his retirement from the NFL due to a string of neck injuries.
During the team's Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last season, the 28-year-old linebacker suffered a season-ending neck injury, marking the third time in six seasons he played in 10 games or fewer.
"I understand that I can no longer maintain the high standard of excellence required in professional football. With a heavy heart, I must announce my medical retirement from the NFL. Despite my deep passion for the sport, my body can no longer cooperate," he stated.
"My NFL career has been a blessing, and I cherished every moment of it. However, this year, my focus is on being a great husband and father to my loving family."
Despite being selected No. 19 overall in the 2018 draft, Vander Esch missed the final few weeks of the season due to a nerve issue in his neck. In the 2020 season, he again experienced a similar issue, but was able to return.
Before returning for the playoffs in 2023, he sustained another neck injury.
Planet Chronicle’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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