Jaxson Dart sent flying vs. Patriots, bringing up more concern for his safety

Jaxson Dart sent flying vs. Patriots, bringing up more concern for his safety originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After missing the last two games with a concussion, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart returned for Monday night's game against the New England Patriots. In the first quarter, Dart took another hit, leading to real concerns about how well he protects himself on the field.

Facing a second-and-13, Dart scrambled to his right and ran up the field. As he neared the sideline, Dart was met by New England linebacker Christian Elliss, who delivered a booming hit. That turned into a fight when New York's Theo Johnson went after Elliss. Johnson was the only player penalized in the exchange.

Particularly given that Dart missed the previous two games with a concussion, this led to serious concern about Dart's safety.

"There is just no need for this. What an insane hit to take," Justin Penik of Jomboy Media and the Talkin' Giants Podcastsaid.

"Everyone: Dart needs to protect himself better Dart: check this out," Mike Golic Jr. remarked.

"That’s the exact kind of play that the Giants need Jaxson Dart to protect himself at the cost of an extra yard or two," ESPN's Field Yates said. Yates also added, "Nothing wrong with that hit on that play."

"Everybody wants to protect Jaxson Dart except for Jaxson Dart," Emmanuel Acho said.

It was understandable to see Johnson and the Giants quickly come to Dart's aid. That said, Elliss' hit was completely legal. While Dart was indeed close to the sideline, he was also close to the first-down marker. By backing off, Elliss would have risked giving up the first down.

The concern for Dart is well-founded. As exciting as he is, he needs to be more careful about how long he stays up on scrambles. If he doesn't, more hits like this, and unfortunately, more injuries, will follow.