In an embarrassing 24-20 collapse against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart absorbed a vicious third-quarter hit that left him motionless on the Soldier Field grass.
The Ole Miss product, chasing a fumble with his trademark grit, crumpled under Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker and safety Jaquan Brisker’s tackle, his body going limp in a scene captured in viral footage.
Fans and analysts alike gasped as Dart staggered to his feet, helmet askew, only to re-enter the fray for two ill-advised plays before trainers finally pulled him for a concussion evaluation — confirming the diagnosis.
“It’s unfortunate,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the game. “Unfortunate he got hurt.”
This isn’t isolated negligence; it’s a pattern of peril.
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Dart, who assumed starting duties in Week 4, leads all QBs with 25 designed runs, exposing his 223-pound frame to unnecessary punishment. Sunday marked his third in-season concussion check (cleared twice), plus a preseason scare, alongside other nagging injuries.
“He was out cold,” wrote Bobby Skinner of the Giants Nation Show, blasting the delay as “malpractice” after an eight-play Bears drive (plus two offensive snaps) elapsed without intervention.
Daboll seemed to dismiss the oversight postgame.
“As he was going back out on the field, just didn’t seem right. So, we called the trainers over and said let’s get him out and make sure he gets looked at. Went in and got looked at and ended up being evaluated for a concussion,” he said.
Yet, this echoes a Week 6 fiasco against Philadelphia, where the NFL hammered the Giants with a $200,000 fine, Daboll $100,000, and running back Cam Skattebo $15,000 for breaching protocols by entering the medical tent mid-evaluation.
The league cited “disregard for player safety,” despite no direct impact on Dart’s care.
With a franchise cornerstone’s long-term health at stake, the Giants’ win-at-all-costs mentality borders on reckless. Prioritizing Daboll’s job security over Dart’s health — amid a lost season — reeks of selfishness. Ownership must intervene before another hit rewrites a promising career.
