Jaxson Dart's Aggressive Style Sparks Sideline Scuffle, Raises Familiar Questions
Jaxson Dart doesn’t shy away from contact - that much has been clear since the moment he stepped onto an NFL field. But after missing two games with a concussion, the rookie quarterback was back in action in Week 13, and it didn’t take long for his fearless style to stir up conversation once again.
Late in the first quarter against the Patriots, with the Giants facing a second-and-13 from their own 27-yard line, Dart broke the pocket and scrambled right. It looked like he might head out of bounds - a smart move, especially given his recent injury history - but instead, he kept tiptoeing along the sideline, trying to squeeze out a few more yards.
That decision put him directly in the path of Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss, who didn’t hesitate. Elliss lowered his shoulder and delivered a clean but jarring hit, sending Dart to the turf and sparking a brief altercation between players on both teams.
The message from Elliss afterward was simple: “Make sure to slide.”
It’s the kind of hit that defensive coaches love and offensive coaches fear. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel even called it a “weekly reminder” for his own quarterback, Drake Maye, not to “get too cute” near the sideline. In other words, if you’re going to flirt with staying inbounds, defenders are going to treat you like a runner - and that means you’re fair game.
From Elliss’s perspective, he was just doing his job.
“I saw the scramble, started chasing him down,” Elliss said. “He started tiptoeing on the sideline - I thought he was going out, but he stayed in.
What am I supposed to do? We play hard on defense, we try to bring life to this team.
That’s all I was trying to do - do my job and hit anything in the whites.”
That hit didn’t go unnoticed by the Giants. Tight end Theo Johnson was flagged for a personal foul after shoving Elliss in retaliation, and several Giants players stepped in to defend their quarterback. But Elliss didn’t take it personally - in fact, he said he completely understood the response.
“If that was Drake [Maye] that took that shot, we’d probably react the exact same way,” Elliss said.
As for Dart? He didn’t flinch - not during the hit, and not afterward when asked if he’d change anything about the play.
“No,” Dart said. “I understand the question, but this is football.
I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket. I’ve played this way my whole life.
It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you’ve followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here.
You’re going to get hit - things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
That kind of mentality is what makes Dart such a compelling player - and also what makes him a lightning rod for concern. His competitiveness is undeniable. So is the risk.
Christian Elliss talks about his hit on Jaxson Dart on the sideline:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 2, 2025
"I saw him tiptoeing, stay inbounds, what am I supposed to do? We play hard on defense, we try to bring life to this team. That's all I was trying to do - do my job and hit anything in the whites" pic.twitter.com/wJQ8H3z3fG
Giants head coach Mike Kafka said he thought Dart was “working his way out of bounds” on the play, suggesting it might’ve been a miscalculation more than recklessness. But veteran offensive lineman Jon Runyan wasn’t so sure.
“I told him earlier [Monday], be smart, protect ourselves,” Runyan said. “Obviously, he’s not going to listen because he’s just so competitive, loves the contact.
That’s just how he is. We’re just going to have to keep talking to him.
Maybe he’ll listen to us one of these days.”
For now, both teams head into their Week 14 bye with plenty to think about. For the Giants, the priority is clear: keep their young quarterback upright and healthy. For Dart, the challenge is balancing that trademark toughness with the kind of situational awareness that leads to long careers in this league.
He’s got the tools. He’s got the heart. Now it’s about learning when to fight for the extra yard - and when to live to fight another down.