Jaxson Dart is one of the most promising rookies in the NFL, but one of his best assets might also be his biggest weakness. The New York Giants quarterback is tied with Josh Allen for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback this season. However, his hard-nosed style of running has led to multiple concussion checks for Dart this season.
Dart once again exited the Giants' game against the Bears to be checked for a concussion last week. That marked the fourth time this season that the quarterback went through the concussion protocol. He's already been ruled out for Week 11, with Jameis Winston starting in his place.
Now, the Giants want Dart to learn his lesson while he rests. Adam Schefter reports that the team wants the quarterback to reevaluate his running style and learn to play more safely.
“During the same week in which the New York Giants made major changes, they also advocated to Jaxson Dart that he strongly consider making some of his own,” Schefter wrote for ESPN. “People both inside and outside the Giants organization spoke with Dart, who remains in concussion protocol, and urged the rookie quarterback to be more thoughtful and careful with when and how he runs.”
Dart runs hard and fights for every down when he's in the open field. It makes watching the Giants quarterback entertaining, but it also welcomes a ton of injury risk. Where most quarterbacks might slide and be content with their gain, Dart will fight to get that extra yard.
The Giants don't want Dart to risk himself every down, especially as he's proven that he can be their franchise quarterback. Allen also had a similar running style early in his career, but the Buffalo Bills made a similar plea for their quarterback to play more safely. Now, Allen fights for the first down if needed, but he's also more willing to slide and live to fight another down.
The Giants hope that Dart learns his lesson after this concussion. Schefter mentions that Dart has been “slow to pick up” this lesson, but perhaps a stint on the bench will make the quarterback realize what he can do better.
