How watching MVP QBs has Giants' Jaxson Dart defiant amid injury concerns

Not long after New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart took a crunching hit in the club's 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots, he somewhat defiantly said he is "going to play aggressive" despite concerns about his long-term health. 

On Tuesday, Dart mentioned a pair of MVP signal-callers while explaining his mindset regarding his playing style.

Jaxson Dart trying to learn from Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes

"There's a time and place for things," Dart said about potentially risking his body on scrambles during games, per the Giants' website. "I mean, I watch quarterbacks who play kind of like me around the league. I watch how (Buffalo Bills quarterback) Josh Allen plays. I watch how (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback) Patrick Mahomes plays. They take hits, too, so I'm not an anomaly here." 

Unlike Allen and Mahomes, Dart was checked for a concussion on four occasions from the preseason up until he was placed in the NFL's concussion protocol during the Giants' Week 10 loss at the Chicago Bears. He remained in the protocol for New York's next two games, but he started and finished Monday's contest at New England's Gillette Stadium. 

"I just see that they play the game as competitive and as hard as they can," Dart added about Allen and Mahomes. "Like I've said, this is football. You're going to get tackled. They get tackled. Every quarterback gets tackled. They've taken big hits. Every single quarterback has taken big hits. ...I think the narrative is just a little funny to me, to be honest."

How Jaxson Dart is dealing with adversity as a rookie

What isn't funny for Dart and the Giants is the fact that the 2-11 team has already been eliminated from the playoffs. Big Blue lost star wide receiver Malik Nabers to a campaign-ending torn ACL and meniscus in Week 4. Additionally, the Giants haven't earned a win since rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle, a fractured fibula and ruptured deltoid ligament in Week 8. 

The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10.

"There's been a lot of adversity," Dart admitted about his first NFL season. "Obviously, there are some things that have happened that aren't ideal, but I'm just trying to take the perspective of...control what I can control, keep these guys in the locker room together, continue to stay engaged, finish this year off the right way. Me and (backup quarterback Jameis Winston) have talked about, like, all this adversity is going to lead to success, and it's all part of the plan. It may not be the plan that I expected or wanted to happen right out the gate, but I know what kind of player I am."

Following the Giants' Week 14 bye, they will host the 3-9 Washington Commanders on Dec. 14. MetLife Stadium may be half-empty for that game because of the states of the teams, but Dart indicated he's not punting on the remainder of New York's season. 

"I know what kind of leader I am," Dart continued. "I know what the vision is here, and we have the right pieces that we can continue to step on. We just need a little momentum. We need to be able to make those plays at the end. You've got to have unwavering faith even when times are tough and continue to just try to have positivity."