Sports

Jaxson Dart, like most NFL players, is fearless. Jaxson Dart, like most NFL players, is ultra-competitive. Jaxson Dart, like most NFL players who get the ball in their hands, wants to secure every inch of territory possible.

That attitude carries with it an increased risk of contact. And more contact can lead to more injuries.

To no surprise, then, the Week 11 Sunday Splash! reports include an item regarding efforts to urge Dart to be more careful.

Those efforts presumably existed before Dart suffered a concussion against the Bears. From the first time Dart threw caution to the wind between the white lines, the Giants knew or should have known that the coaching of their potential franchise quarterback should include aggressive encouragement to avoid, not embrace, taking hits.

It's hardly a new dynamic. Most recently, the Dolphins have had to get quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to understand the importance of protecting himself on the field. The desire to move the ball must be always tempered by the importance of avoiding unnecessary hits.

We've seen what can happen when quarterbacks take unnecessary hits. In 2018, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, instead of stepping out of bounds, cut inside, dropped a shoulder, and delivered a hit against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. He suffered a torn ACL. In 2016, during his first game as the starting quarterback of the Browns, quarterback Robert Griffin III, dropped a shoulder near the sideline in lieu of getting out of bounds against the Eagles. Griffin suffered a shoulder injury and didn't return until Week 14.

Remember the efforts to get Mark Sanchez to slide? Jets coach Rex Ryan brought Yankees manager Joe Girardi to practice for the specific purpose of teaching Sanchez how to keep himself safe.

So, no, the effort to urge Dart to protect himself is far from unprecedented. Every team needs to be ready, and able, to coach its quarterback aggressively and effectively regarding the importance of avoiding unnecessary contact.

That mindset applies not only when running but also when in the pocket. Quarterbacks need to know when to get rid of the ball, or when to simply take a seat, when the walls close in and a big hit is inevitable.

The cliché exists because the message is true. The best ability is availability. Quarterbacks who take avoidable hits risk missing games. Which makes it harder for them to ever develop into true franchise quarterbacks.