Jaxson Dart Puzzled After Getting Hit Into Medical Tent Again

Pressure is mounting on New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart to slide more when he scrambles after taking heavy hits during his rookie campaign last year. But some factors are beyond Dart's control, such as Saturday's moment when a Minnesota Vikings defender crashed through the Giants' offensive line untouched and slammed into him in the first quarter of their preseason matchup.

Dart was carted to the blue medical tent for an evaluation before heading back onto the field. That spot felt familiar because he seemed guided over to the sideline multiple times during the 2025 season. He told reporters he was "puzzled" by this specific incident.

"As far as the blue tent, I really respect the rules and the thought behind the NFL has of keeping players healthy and reviewing things, but at the same time, I'm still puzzled by it just feeling like every time that I get hit, I find my way in there," he said. "Which at times, I still try to wrap my head around, but that's all that I'm going to say about that situation."

"I'm really happy with how the drive ended."

Giants head coach John Harbaugh admitted he was surprised that Dart had to go into the tent on that play.

"Honestly, I was. Honestly, I was. But I would say that their job is to err on the side of player safety, so I can't argue with that either," Harbaugh said.

Dart threw a touchdown pass to kick off the second quarter. The Vikings won the game 13-10.

The main concern for Giants fans is whether Dart will make the smart choice and slide when he moves through a crowd of defenders. This time, there really was little he could do. Vikings safety Jay Ward had Dart dead to rights and delivered the crushing blow.

It remains preseason football, and the Giants have many kinks to work out if they want to sniff the playoff race this year. Reading a blitzing defensive back is near the top of that list.