The New York Giants hit the practice field Wednesday for the first time this week ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers. It marked their first session in four years without Brian Daboll as head coach — and the first in seven games without rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart under center.
Change is in the air in East Rutherford. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is now the interim HC, and Jameis Winston has been named the starter. Kafka confirmed Wednesday that Winston will take over while Dart continues progressing through concussion protocol.
Related: Giants’ first Week 11 injury report spells disaster for Mike Kafka’s debut
The 22-year-old suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of their 24-20 Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Announcing (the highly anticipated) Famous Jameis' Big Blue debut wasn’t his only update. Fans have been waiting for word on their electric franchise QB, and a lot of them will like what they heard:
“He’s in the middle of it, and to be honest with you, I have a lot of trust in our medical staff and our medical team, and they’re taking great care of him. So each day I get a little bit of an update, he’s right on track and right on pace in the program.”
Mike Kafka provides promising update on Jaxson Dart’s concussion recovery
First things first, it's great hearing that he hasn't suffered any setbacks in his recovery. Sure, concussions are common among players, and not typically injuries that take them out for long periods of time, but make no mistake about it — they are no joke.
Which brings me to my next point: Dart's health is the single most important key to this organization's future success. And with the season already all but over, some serious questions need to be asked.
The 25th overall pick has now been evaluated for a concussion four separate times. That’s a massive red flag for both his short- and long-term outlook. What’s worse is how those head injuries have been handled.
On one occasion, Daboll was fined for entering the blue medical tent to check on his quarterback. On another, Dart’s concussion on Sunday was blatantly mishandled — either the Giants, the NFL spotters, or both dropped the ball when he wasn’t evaluated after showing signs of a concussion following a hard hit and fumble against the Bears.
That begs the question: Is it worth risking the rookie's long-term health for essentially no reason? Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo are already out with season-ending injuries. This team is going nowhere. Does Kafka sit him until the bye even if he's healthy? What about the rest of the season?
We’ll find out soon enough. But for now, good news is good news, and it's clear Kafka is going to make sure Dart's health is front and center, which is how it should be.