After missing two games while in concussion protocol, Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was back under center on Monday night - and it didn’t take long for him to get a harsh welcome back to NFL action.
Early in the Giants’ 33-15 loss to the Patriots, Dart took a punishing hit from New England linebacker Christian Elliss while scrambling along the sideline. It was a clean shot, but one that sent a message - both to Dart and anyone watching.
Former Colts center Jeff Saturday didn’t hold back when weighing in on Dart’s decision to stay upright and fight for extra yards rather than sliding to avoid contact.
“You haven’t played against a defensive lineman who runs a 4.6 and weighs 310 pounds, and when he hits you, it’s like a freight train,” Saturday said during an appearance on Get Up. “Your body can only take so much.
And at the end of the day, for a franchise quarterback - which is what you are - they’re building the entire franchise around you. You have to protect yourself.”
Saturday’s point is one a lot of former players and coaches have echoed over the years: toughness is admirable, but availability is everything. Especially when you’re the face of the franchise.
Still, Dart didn’t seem rattled by the hit - physically or mentally. After the game, the rookie QB stood by his aggressive style of play.
“This is football,” Dart said in his postgame press conference. “I’m going to get hit whether I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket.
I’ve played this way my entire life. It shouldn’t be a shock to anybody who’s followed my career.”
And then he added the kind of quote that’ll either fire up fans or make coaches wince: “We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit.
Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
That mindset - fearless, maybe to a fault - is part of what makes Dart such a compelling player. But it also raises questions about how sustainable that approach is over the course of a long NFL season, especially with the kind of hits he’s taking.
Statistically, Dart had a solid night. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions.
He also added 20 yards on the ground on four carries. But the numbers tell only part of the story.
The bigger narrative is about how he plays - and how long his body can hold up if he keeps playing this way.
As for Elliss, he made it clear after the game that he wasn’t trying to send Dart to the sideline - just a message.
“Make sure to slide,” Elliss said. “When I saw him tiptoeing, I thought, ‘If you’re going to stay in bounds, what am I supposed to do?’
We play hard on defense. We try to bring life to this team.
That’s what I was trying to do - my job. Hit anything in white.”
For the Patriots’ defense, the hit was more than just a tackle. It was a tone-setter. It helped establish a physical edge early in the game, and New England rode that momentum to a dominant first half.
For Dart and the Giants, the lesson is clear: the NFL is a different beast. The speed, the size, the physicality - it’s all dialed up. And while you love to see a young quarterback willing to fight for every yard, there’s a fine line between fearless and reckless.
The Giants believe they’ve found their guy in Dart. But if he’s going to be the long-term answer, he’ll need to start picking his spots - and sometimes, that means sliding instead of standing tall.