Jaxson Dart’s NFL Introduction
It looks like Jaxson Dart just had his “Welcome to the NFL” moment.
During the Giants’ final preseason match against the Patriots on Thursday night, Dart, who was selected 25th overall, faced a concerning situation in the first quarter when he was tackled after a 23-yard scramble.
He was cleared from concussion protocol and seemed determined to take this as a learning experience.
“I’m definitely going to start sliding more,” he wrote on his Instagram story late Thursday, though that post was gone by Friday morning.
In his first NFL start, Dart seemed to have some wild thoughts, especially when he believed there’d be an open field on a fourth down near the end of the first quarter.
He displayed impressive speed and quick instincts, but his visit to the medical tent led to some valuable advice from Coach Brian Daboll.
“I’m not going to coach that out of him. I’m sure he was trying to make the right decision,” Daboll commented after the Giants’ 42-10 victory over the Patriots. “In this particular game, sliding would have been a good choice. There’s a time and a place for everything. I appreciate Dart’s competitiveness and toughness, but he needs to make the right calls.”
Dart seemed to be on the same page, reflecting on his experience.
“That was a first for me; I’ve never been pulled out of the game like that,” he said post-game. “Honestly, I thought I could evade the tackler when I saw the open field. I didn’t feel too threatened by the hit, but if you sense a big hit coming, then yeah, you definitely should slide.”
Dart completed all six of his passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, achieving a passer rating of 99.7.
Across three preseason games, he maintained a completion rate of 68.1%, totaling 372 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while serving as the backup to Russell Wilson.
There’s still a significant learning curve for the Ole Miss alum as he transitions to the professional level. The Giants will be hoping he makes smart choices moving forward, especially as they look for a future franchise quarterback.
