Dart exited the Eagles-Giants game late in the third quarter after being sacked by Patrick Johnson. Dart grabbed his head as he remained on the turf before New York’s medical staff tended to him. The first-round rookie then jogged off the field under his own power before entering the blue medical tent on the sideline.
Russell Wilson entered the game for Dart for two plays, handing the ball off and throwing an incompletion. The Giants punted, Dart was eventually cleared, and the quarterback returned to play on the next drive to finish the game.
During Dart’s evaluation in the sideline blue medical tent, the NFL and NFLPA found that Daboll and Skattebo entered the tent and spoke with Dart before his evaluation was complete, “creating the perception that they were interfering with Dart’s exam.”
“While the parties agreed that Coach Daboll’s and Mr. Skattebo’s actions had no actual impact on the exam or the care that Mr. Dart received,” the NFL-NFLPA joint statement reads, “their conduct was inconsistent with and demonstrated a disregard for the concussion protocol’s requirements and therefore constituted a violation.”
The concussion protocol states that “only medical personnel deemed essential to the care of the athlete may be present for the tent and/or locker room evaluation. This includes the team physician best qualified to evaluate concussion, the club athletic trainer, and the sideline Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant.”
The NFL and NFLPA also noted that the Giants have taken “immediate remedial steps to prevent any similar violation in the future,” including by cooperating with the review, conducting additional training with club staff and players and taking further steps to ensure only permitted individuals may enter the medical tent during a concussion exam.
Daboll said after the game that he apologized to the team physician for his actions.
“I just stuck my head in to see how our quarterback was doing,” Daboll said at the time. “In no way would I want a player to come back out there that wasn’t ready to play. I have great respect for that process.”
Giants owner John Mara said in a statement following the initiation of the review that Daboll’s actions appeared “inappropriate.”
New York’s fine comes as the Giants (2-5) prepare to face the Eagles (5-2) again, this time at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.