Giants' Jaxson Dart Not Concerned About Targeted Hits Amid Criticism of Play Style

Jaxson Dart's aggressive running style has become a major talking point this season, between the injuries he's sustained and the fact that teams like the Washington Commanders clearly prioritized getting hits on him during scrambles.

Not that Dart is concerned with being targeted in such a way.

"Absolutely not," he told reporters Wednesday. "I mean, [Georgia coach] Kirby Smart said the exact same thing every time he played against me. So did [former Alabama coach] Nick Saban. So did every coach that I played in college. This is nothing new. Just try to go out there and play smart. Be available for my team."

Perhaps he should be concerned. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Dart took 15 hits against the Washington Commanders on Sunday and at one point was checked for a concussion, though he returned to the game. Per that report, "In the past 10 games in which Dart has thrown at least one pass, dating back to the preseason, he has been examined for a concussion in five of them."

Dart has been excellent when healthy, throwing for 1,802 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games while rushing for 400 yards and seven touchdowns. He's transformed New York's offense, even without playmakers like Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo out injured. But as the old cliche goes, the best ability is availability, and the big hits Dart continues to take are jeopardizing his availability.