Giants star Jaxson Dart gets serious advice amid injury concerns

new york giants quarterback jaxson dart in game against eagles

...

Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

On Thursday evening, Jaxson Dart showcased his impressive abilities against the Philadelphia Eagles, eluding defenders on rushing plays and making key passes to multiple New York Giants players. Among the highlights was Dart taking off in the first quarter, faking out several Eagles defenders, and running to the endzone for a 20-yard touchdown.

He ultimately ended the game with 195 passing yards, one touchdown thrown, and one he ran in himself. Dart had 13 carries for 58 rushing yards, matching the yards output of Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley for the game.

While all of that translated to a significant 34-17 victory for the rookie quarterback, he also took two sacks. One of those was a massive hit courtesy of an Eagles defender, and resulted in a trip to the blue medical tent for Dart.

Read More on NFL

While Russell Wilson entered the game for a few plays, Dart eventually got the go-ahead to return to the game. However, his nature to play somewhat as if he's indestructible, scrambling and mixing things up against the defense, also raises concerns about potential injury.

A Super Bowl-winning quarterback reacted to Dart's style of play, explaining what the younger QB needs to do to avoid suffering a serious injury. In fact, the Giants' rookie already has a teammate who could help him more.

new york giants quarterback jaxson dart in game against eagles

...

Speaking on the "Up & Adams Show," former New England Patriots star Drew Bledsoe shared his thoughts about how Dart could better protect himself on the field. According to Bledsoe, Dart has teammate Russell Wilson, whom he can learn from.

"I remember watching Russell Wilson play, when he would run, Russ has always had this knack for being able to run and make plays and never take the big hit," Bledsoe told Kay Adams.

"If he just goes and puts on some Russell Wilson tapes and watches how Russ has protected himself over the years, that would be a great mentor," he shared.

Bledsoe mentioned that's part of why Wilson has remained healthy for so many years, due to running and not getting hit a lot. According to Bledsoe, people criticized Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen because of his physicality, saying he "acts like a football player first and a quarterback second sometimes."

However, Allen has managed to remain free of any serious injuries during his NFL career, and it seems Dart could implement some of the veteran QBs' techniques.

View this post on X

"The best ability is availability. Hopefully, he can play the way he's been playing and not get himself hurt," Bledsoe said about Dart.

A video surfaced online during the Eagles vs. Giants game on "Thursday Night Football" showing Dart lying on the ground, and the highlight of the tackle that caused injury concern.

It led to the blue tent trip to check on Dart potentially having a concussion. As mentioned, the Giants quarterback eventually cleared the team's concussion protocol to continue guiding them to a decisive win against their division-leading rivals.

However, controversy still surrounds his ability to return to the game after the medical evaluation visit. On Friday, ESPN reported the NFL is investigating the situation, and depending on their findings, it could result in punishment for head coach Brian Daboll and the Giants.

View this post on X

The game against the Eagles isn't the first time Dart's taken a brutal hit, resulting in a visit to the blue tent. In an August game against the New England Patriots, Dart was tackled hard on a fourth-down play because he failed to slide and protect himself.

Bledsoe suffered a devastating injury while playing for the Patriots in 2001. On a third-and-10 play, New York Jets linebacker cleanly hit the quarterback, but it was hard enough to knock him out of the game.

Initial concerns were that Bledsoe had a concussion, but he was rushed to a hospital when the team’s trainer suspected something more serious. Ultimately, it was a hemothorax he’d suffered, causing him to lose significant amounts of blood. Bledsoe's injury seemingly launched the legendary career of Tom Brady, who stepped in as the backup QB for the Patriots and went on to become the permanent starter.

So far, Dart's bounced back from the hard hits to continue playing a valuable role as starting QB for a 2-4 Giants squad. Injuries can be a strong teacher. However, it's never a bad idea to learn from how the greats navigate their playing careers, including MVP and Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks like Wilson or Allen.