Jaxson Dart Cleared to Return with the Giants
The New York Giants quarterback, Jaxson Dart, has been cleared to rejoin the team after passing the concussion protocol. This puts him in a position to play on Monday night against the New England Patriots. Dart missed the previous two games due to a concussion suffered on November 9 against the Chicago Bears. Jameis Winston was the one who took over as the starter in his absence. Dart, selected in the first round this year, has started in seven games, accumulating 10 touchdown passes and seven scoring runs. The young quarterback returns after participating in the full practice for the first time on Wednesday. Last week, his participation in training was limited. According to sources, Dart was disappointed that he couldn’t play last Sunday in Detroit. Although he practiced earlier in the week, he was ultimately not cleared. Dart, who has been evaluated for concussions in four of his last eight games, including the preseason, was the first quarterback to practice on Wednesday, suggesting his possible return.The good news arrived on Thursday after Dart met with an independent neurologist, the final step of the protocol. Dart’s playing style has been a topic of debate surrounding the Giants. The team didn’t want to take away his aggressiveness. Brian Daboll was fired one day after Dart suffered the concussion. Kafka has been in charge of the plays all season. Several teammates have urged Dart to slide more and get out of bounds when possible near the sideline, aware that he cannot keep taking the same kind of hits. Dart takes about 10 hits per game.“Yes, we had the same plan as last week,” interim coach Mike Kafka said on Wednesday. “We’ll stick with it this week and see what happens with Jaxson and the protocol.”
Mike Kafka
The Giants (2-10) come into Monday night’s game on a six-game losing streak, and are currently on a franchise-record 12-game losing streak on the road. Next week, the team has a break. The Giants were hoping Dart could return for the primetime game.“The best ability is availability,” Winston said recently.
Jameis Winston
“Well, we’re still having the same conversations we would have any week,” Winston said on Wednesday. “I think he’s focused on that. Last week, he was determined to play. It’s just that the NFL has a strict protocol and that’s what happened. I was grateful, but at the same time, I felt sorry for him because I know how much he works and how he prepares, and I told him I supported him. But we’re not doing anything different. We’re still having the same conversations. He’s still working and, hopefully, this week he can recover and help us get a win.”
Jameis Winston
