Jaxson Dart’s biggest strength might also be his biggest defect. There’s a reason Jon Gruden once dubbed him the “Evel Knievel of quarterbacks” during the pre-draft process. He thrives on chaos, plays with an edge, and isn’t afraid to take a hit, which is why New York Giants fans love him, but this isn't college anymore.
There are real health risks in the Ole Miss product’s play style, which was something he learned the hard way in Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Patriots. After scrambling for a 23-yard gain on fourth down, the 22-year-old failed to slide, fumbled, and found himself in the blue tent being evaluated for a concussion.
In a preseason where it’s felt like Dart has done everything right, it serves as a reminder that he’s still a rookie. To his credit, the former Ole Miss star didn’t shy away from taking accountability when he addressed the media after the game.
"If you're going to take a big hit, then you slide,” Dart told SNY. “But I didn't feel like I was in a situation where I was going to take a big hit so I felt like I could extend the play... just should've held onto the ball."
Jaxson Dart’s biggest preseason lesson should be to learn to slide
The wake-up call? If Dart wants to survive in the league, he’s got to learn how to protect himself. And all that means is slide before going down.
The hearts of Giants fans everywhere sank into their stomachs when they saw their likely quarterback was hurt. They got lucky this time, but might not be this fortunate in the future.
The difference between college and the pros is that every defender is faster, stronger, and hits harder. What looked like open space on SEC Saturdays closes in a split-second on NFL Sundays. The Utah native still went 6-12 with 81 passing yards and another touchdown to Greg Dulcich, but would have played even longer had it not been for this mistake.
The encouraging news is that outside of that moment, Dart’s preseason has been about as good as New York could have hoped for after trading up to No. 25 overall to select him. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has done a fantastic job with Big Blue’s offense this summer. The team eclipsed 30 points in all three preseason games and averaged nearly 36 points per game across that span.
But for all of the good vibes surrounding the offense, Dart’s development will remain the overarching storyline of the season, and will more than likely dictate Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen’s futures at the helm.
And the Giants need Dart on the field, not on the injury report. He doesn’t have to stop playing with that fire, but he does need to learn the most unglamorous move in football. And luckily, it seems like he picked up on the memo.