For the first time all season, things finally broke the New York Giants’ way. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart led the team to its biggest win in... a long time, the Philadelphia Eagles got humbled on primetime, and MetLife Stadium was more electric than it’s been in years. But even on the night everything went right, one tense sideline moment has left the organization with some unwanted attention.
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Late in the third quarter, Dart took a hard shot from linebacker Patrick Johnson and was slow to get up. He eventually jogged off under his own power and went straight to the blue medical tent for a concussion evaluation. What happened next is what has the league watching closely. Head coach Brian Daboll erupted on the sideline, yelling at team physician Dr. Scott Rodeo while anxiously waiting for the 22-year-old to be cleared.
He even leaned into the tent, which coaches are absolutely not permitted to do during medical evaluations.
The NFL has since confirmed it has opened an investigation into how the G-Men handled the situation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the league and NFLPA will conduct a joint review. Jeremy Fowler added that both Daboll and the team could face discipline, depending on what’s found.
Both Brian Daboll and the Giants could face discipline, depending what is found, per source. https://t.co/GOvYmHK09i
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 10, 2025
Giants' Brian Daboll facing discipline over concussion protocol
Dabs even admitted he was in the wrong after the game. He apologized directly to Dr. Rodeo and explained that the emotion of the moment got the better of him.
Big Blue was up by 10, facing a potential fourth-down decision, and their rookie quarterback was being evaluated in the tent. Daboll wanted his guy back out there as quickly as possible. It's understandable, even if it was over the top.
But the NFL doesn’t care about the emotions of the moment. The league cares about protocol, and concussion protocol is at the top of that list. Coaches are not allowed in the tent, period. For a league that’s spent years tightening its handling of head injuries, this was a bad look in front of a national audience.
Even if this ends up as nothing more than a fine, the 50-year-old's reaction clearly crossed a line.
Still, the irony here is impossible to ignore. Dart was being held out for medical safety reasons, as he should have been. Meanwhile, the Eagles ran their annoying-as-all-heck tush push play four straight times earlier in the game, injuring Giants' defensive tackle D.J. Davidson.
Yet it’s still somehow allowed to happen, despite being an obvious false start every single time. If we’re really talking about player safety, it’s time to peel back the curtain on the one play Philly’s offense seems to run adequately.
The reality is simple: Dart’s long-term health has to come before any third- or fourth-down play call. He’s the future of the franchise. A timeout or a punt is nothing compared to putting any of that at risk. Daboll knows that, and that’s why he owned up to it right away. But apologies don’t make the problem go away. The league will do its review, and discipline — even if it’s just a fine — feels inevitable.