If there's one thing you know about Jaxson Dart, it's that he doesn't mind taking a hit. The New York Giants' rookie quarterback has looked fantastic through the first four starts of his NFL career, but some of that has been overshadowed by his unwillingness to slide to avoid contact.
The first-round pick out of Ole Miss has now suffered minor injuries in three of his four starts, and Big Blue's heartbreaking 33-32 loss to the Broncos was the latest instance of that. And that's what led to former NFL quarterback-turned-ESPN analyst Alex Smith saying Dart needs to stop playing "recess ball".
Smith's words are a justified concern about his NFL longevity. He himself was a quarterback whose career ended early due to injury (albeit a different circumstance), so his message to the 22-year-old shouldn't fall on deaf ears.
Alex Smith's message to Jaxson Dart is something he needs to listen to
In the loss, Dart went 15-of-38 for 283 passing yards and three touchdowns, and added another score on the ground. He lit up the box score, reminding Giants fans that they have found their quarterback of the future, but the little rookie mistakes linger.
However, he threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter, while enduring a concussion scare for the second consecutive game. Yet the most impressive 15 minutes of Bo Nix's career spoiled the promising afternoon.
Barring injury, the 22-year-old has a long and impressive career ahead of him. Highly-drafted quarterbacks like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Joe Burrow have seen injuries derail their momentum — and that happening to Dart right after the Giants found their franchise QB would trigger a nightmare scenario.
Even Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with his fair share of concussions since entering the NFL, and he's struggled to recapture his same pre-concussion glory. Now, his future as the starter in Miami is in serious jeopardy after a Week 7 disaster-class.
Smith is someone who had a highly productive career until injuries took their toll. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for over 35,000 career passing yards, and a lesson in protecting your body is something that can benefit the young signal-caller.
It was that affinity for contact that saw the G-Men trade up to select Dart, but now it's coming back to haunt them.
New York doesn't want to see anything happen to their QB1, so his Evel Knievel-like playing style needs to be toned back if he wants to continue playing at this high level going forward.