Home / Sports / Rookie QB Jaxson Dart Ignores Safety Advice, Pays the Price
Rookie QB Jaxson Dart Ignores Safety Advice, Pays the Price
22 Aug
Summary
- Rookie QB Jaxson Dart took on defenders instead of sliding, got injured
- Giants head coach Daboll wants Dart to make smarter decisions, but trusts his competitiveness
- Dart's teammate DeVito advised him to "slide" and avoid unnecessary hits
On August 22nd, 2025, during the New York Giants' 42-10 rout of the New England Patriots, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made a risky decision that nearly resulted in serious injury. Dart, who was taught to either throw the ball away, get out of bounds, or slide to avoid hits, instead chose to take on two Patriots defenders after a 23-yard scramble.
The decision backfired, as Dart fumbled the ball (which the Giants recovered) and had the wind knocked out of him. He had to be evaluated for a concussion and, although he passed all tests, did not return to the game. Giants head coach Brian Daboll acknowledged that he would have preferred Dart to slide in that situation, but praised the rookie's competitiveness.
Dart's teammate, Tommy DeVito, took the young quarterback aside after the play and bluntly told him to "slide" and avoid unnecessary hits, especially in a preseason game. DeVito emphasized that Dart needs to learn from this experience and make smarter decisions going forward.
Despite the risky play, Daboll indicated that he would not try to coach Dart's competitiveness out of him, as that is one of the qualities that endears him to the coach. However, Daboll stressed that there is a time and place for Dart to showcase his aggressiveness, and a preseason blowout may not have been the ideal situation.
