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Vrabel Backs Legal Hit as Giants Push Jaxson Dart to Play Safer

A recent run of concussion checks raises stakes for keeping the first‑year starter healthy through the stretch.

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Foxboro, MA - December 1 - New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss (53) causes New York Giants wide receiver Gunner Olszewski (80) to fumble as linebacker Marte Mapu (15) tries to recover during the second quarter of a NFL game at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
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Overview

  • Patriots coach Mike Vrabel praised Christian Elliss’s in‑bounds hit on Jaxson Dart, calling for aggressive but legal contact on quarterbacks who stay upright near the sideline.
  • Giants rookie Dart defended his approach, saying he has always played aggressively and citing Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen as examples of QBs who also take hits.
  • Veteran voices urged caution, with Jets QB Tyrod Taylor advising Dart that repeated shots accumulate and that a quarterback’s best ability is availability.
  • Inside the Giants, lineman Jon Runyan Jr. pressed Dart to be smarter, and GM Joe Schoen and interim coach Mike Kafka emphasized a fine line between preserving his playmaking and avoiding unnecessary contact.
  • The sideline collision contributed to a scuffle and a 15‑yard flag on TE Theo Johnson, and comes after Dart was evaluated for concussions multiple times and missed two games; he enters the bye healthy and is on track to face Washington on Dec. 14.