Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion during Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears, raising questions about head coach Brian Daboll’s reliance on designed runs for his rookie quarterback.
Dart has rushed 57 times through nine games this season. His rushing ability was one of the few bright spots against the Bears, including his 24-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. But it came at a cost when he was forced to leave the game after taking a hit.
During his postgame news conference, Daboll was asked if he was utilizing Dart too much in the run game. He sidestepped the question, focusing only on Dart’s injury.
“It’s unfortunate, but, you know, unfortunately got hurt,” Daboll said.
Dart left the game after completing 65.5% of his passes Sunday (19 of 29) for 242 yards and rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Daboll said he did not know when Dart sustained the hit that led to the concussion. However, Dart did take a shot from Bears safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, which led to a fumble. Dart was slow to get up after the hit but made it to the sideline. Daboll explained that he and the coaches noticed something unusual about Dart that led to action being taken by the medical staff.
“As he was going back out on the field, it just didn’t seem right, so I called the trainers over and said, ‘Let’s get him out and make sure he gets looked at,’ Daboll told reporters. ”He went in and got looked at and he ended up being evaluated for a concussion.”
Entering Sunday’s game, Dart was among the league leaders in rushing attempts by quarterbacks. His 51 attempts in the previous eight games were the sixth-highest total in the league, according to Next Gen Stats. His five rushing touchdowns were tied for second in the league.
But Dart has been sacked 21 times this season, in addition to a number of hits in the open field.
Dart will be placed in the league’s concussion protocol. If he is unable to start in the Giants’ next game at home against the Green Bay Packers, Russell Wilson will likely replace him. Wilson, who replaced Dart after he was injured, completed three of his seven passes for 45 yards while rushing for another 12 yards.
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