When NFL Films and “Hard Knocks” roll into town, teams tend to brace themselves. Not because they’ve got something to hide, but because the cameras have a way of turning everyday football conversations into national talking points. That’s exactly what happened this week with the Washington Commanders, the New York Giants, and a few comments that made their way from the meeting room to the spotlight.
In the latest episode of “Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East,” the spotlight swung toward Commanders head coach Dan Quinn as he prepped his defense for a showdown with Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The focus? Dart’s mobility - and how to handle it.
“He is a running back first,” Quinn told his players during a film session, referencing a hit Dart took the week prior against the Patriots. “He is not looking to go down and get into the slide. So, you gotta go out and hit him, fellas.”
Now, for anyone who’s spent time around a football locker room, this is standard operating procedure. When you’re facing a quarterback who can make plays with his legs, you emphasize discipline, physicality, and finishing plays. It’s not about taking cheap shots - it’s about setting a tone and making a mobile quarterback think twice about leaving the pocket.
Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt echoed the message. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. This is the reality of defending today’s NFL, where dual-threat quarterbacks are more common - and more dangerous - than ever.
But thanks to the cameras and the social media echo chamber, some viewers took Quinn’s message out of context, suggesting he was advocating for dirty hits. That’s not what happened.
This wasn’t bounty talk. It was football talk - the kind that happens in every defensive meeting room across the league.
Jaxson Dart, for his part, didn’t flinch when asked about it by reporters on Thursday.
“(Georgia Bulldogs coach) Kirby Smart said the exact same thing every time he played against me,” Dart said. “So did (former Alabama coach) Nick Saban, so did every coach that I played in college.
This is nothing new. Just try to go out there, play smart, and be available for your team.”
That’s a mature response from a rookie who’s already showing he understands the game beyond the X’s and O’s. Dart knows this isn’t personal - it’s just part of being a quarterback who can hurt defenses with his legs.
When you’re a threat to run, defenders are going to treat you like a runner. That means finishing tackles, not assuming you’ll slide, and making sure you feel every hit within the rules.
Former NFL defensive end Chris Long put it plainly: this is business as usual in the league. No one’s out there trying to injure anyone - that’s not the culture in NFL locker rooms. But defenders are taught to play physical, especially when facing quarterbacks who extend plays and escape the pocket.
Dart isn’t going to change his style. Nor should he.
His ability to make plays outside of structure is a huge part of what makes him a rising star in New York. The same goes for Washington’s Jayden Daniels, another young quarterback who thrives when the play breaks down.
Both players will learn - as all mobile quarterbacks do - when to fight for extra yards and when to live to play another down. It’s a balancing act, and the best in the league eventually figure it out.
But make no mistake: neither Dart nor Daniels is going to stop running. It’s what makes them special.
And as long as quarterbacks keep making plays with their legs, defensive coaches will keep preaching the same message Quinn delivered: stay disciplined, stay physical, and finish the play. That’s not controversy. That’s football.