The New York Giants want quarterback Jaxson Dart to stay healthy in 2026. One simple habit could go a long way toward making that happen. Dart is learning to slide.
As a rookie last season, Dart took a lot of hits. He was sacked 35 times, and he went down often when he tried to make plays with his legs. He was checked for concussions more than once and missed two games with a head injury. His sack rate of 9.36 percent was one of the worst in the league. Only a few quarterbacks, including Geno Smith, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert, went down at a higher rate.
Head coach John Harbaugh has made protecting Dart a big priority. He and the staff have been pushing the young quarterback to slide, run out of bounds, or throw the ball away instead of taking a big shot every time.
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A good sign in practice
That work showed up on August 10. During practice, Dart started sliding the right way instead of lowering his shoulder or fighting for extra yards. Harbaugh and the team liked what they saw.
Brian Burns noticed too. Burns is one of the best pass rushers in the league, so he knows exactly how hard a quarterback hits the ground on a sack. He was glad to see Dart protect himself.
“We’ve been begging him to do that for a while now,” Burns said, via SNY. He added that he was happy to see Dart finally putting it into practice.
Why it matters
This is a small thing that can have a big payoff. Every time Dart slides instead of taking a hit, he lowers his risk of injury. That helps him stay on the field, and it can add years to his career.
It helps the offense too. The Giants lost yards and drives when Dart went down last year. Playing a little safer keeps the offense moving and keeps their quarterback available.
None of this means Dart has to stop being aggressive. He was a dynamic playmaker as a rookie. He threw for 2,272 yards and 15 touchdowns, ran for 487 yards and nine scores, and finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. The Giants just want him to pick his spots and live to play the next down.
If the sliding sticks, it could be one of the quieter but more important steps in Dart’s second-year jump.
