At their preseason opener against Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart found himself back inside NFL medical tent after suffering another hard hit to his leg. Although Dart expressed some displeasure with this process, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed otherwise.
Harbaugh expressed his confidence in the NFL medical staff and their intentions, not criticizing either them or those responsible for enforcement of player safety protocols; acknowledging their main priority should always be player well-being. Harbaugh suggested there could be reasons from previous experience that play into these decisions but couldn’t reveal exactly how each situation compared with another.
Dart completed three of four passes for 26 yards and scored a touchdown during the game but was also sacked twice. On one of those sacks, Vikings safety Jay Ward broke through the Giants’ protection and delivered a significant blow to Dart’s torso, causing him to briefly lie motionless before rising and being examined by trainers on the sidelines.
After being hit, Dart was directed to the medical tent for concussion evaluation. In postgame interviews, Dart acknowledged the NFL’s efforts in protecting players but expressed some confusion as to why so often after being hit he ended up back at medical tent.
He voiced respect for both league rules and its commitment to health and safety; yet expressed bemusement at why his first stop when hitting someone seems to be always being sent straight for medical assistance, suggesting he may still be working through some aspects of it all.