Josh Allen Still Feels Guilt Over McDermott’s Firing; Jaxson Dart: A Potential Star QB

During a discussion among Nick Wright, Danny Parkins, Kevin Wildes, and Coach Eric Mangini, the focus shifted to Jaxson Dart and whether he could emerge as the next star quarterback. They also touched on Josh Allen still grappling with guilt regarding Sean McDermott’s dismissal and delved into Patrick Mahomes’ upcoming expectations after his injury.

In a striking moment during the regular-season opener on Sunday night between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, Jaxson Dart took a serious hit in the first quarter. This incident occurred right along the Giants’ sideline, specifically on the out-of-bounds area.

After Dart flew into some equipment, he quickly stood up, signaling that he was alright. His teammates, clearly upset with the Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown for knocking their quarterback out of bounds, retaliated against him. It sparked some typical NFL altercations, where players began shoving each other while fully padded.

Officials stepped in to calm the situation, flagging Overshown for unnecessary roughness, which resulted in a penalty that cost the Cowboys 15 yards, adding to Dart’s previous 22 yards from the run.

Interestingly, Dart wasn’t taken to the medical tent after the hit, despite it being significant. Normally, such a collision would raise concerns triggering a trip to the tent. During the preseason, Dart had previously expressed his confusion over ending up in the tent after every hard hit, despite understanding the NFL’s safety protocols.

After assessing the recent hit, Dart commented that it merely knocked the wind out of him, and he was cleared to play again, although he wasn’t thrilled about leaving the field. His history adds context to the matter; he’d been evaluated for concussions five times during his rookie season, even missing two games due to one diagnosis after a November incident against the Bears. Yet, he returned later in the season to finish strong.

Sunday’s hit was harsh, but to his surprise, he wasn’t sent to the tent afterward. A theory pops up here: perhaps his earlier complaints earned him a bit of leeway with the medical staff, allowing him the benefit of doubt this time around. Observers couldn’t help but wonder if that was indeed the case during the game.