NFL Facing Punishment Decision for Jaxson Dart Incident

Dart has been a revelation for the Giants this season. Since taking over the QB1 role from Russell Wilson in Week 4, the former Ole Miss Rebels star has played well to keep the starting role to himself. Entering Monday’s game against the Patriots, Dart had already registered 128-of-204 completed passes for 1,417 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 22-year-old also has 57 carries for 317 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

On Monday night, Dart went on another one of his trademark runs in the first quarter. As he ran on the sideline, however, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss went in hard with a tackle that sent the rookie QB flying out of bounds.

Giants tight end Theo Johnson saw the hit and immediately reacted after watching his quarterback get popped. Johnson rushed at Elliss, sparking a fight involving players on both teams.

The referees intervened and quickly de-escalated the situation. Johnson was flagged for a personal foul for his actions against Elliss, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for the Giants. The NFL will now review this incident, which could result in a fine for the New York TE.

Depending on how the NFL Officiating Department views Johnson’s actions, he could potentially face a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. According to the NFL rulebook, unsportsmanlike conduct can warrant a fine of $14,491 for a first offense and $20,288 for a second.   

It is worth noting that Elliss could also face a fine. If the league sees his tackle on Dart to be excessive, the Pats LB could be hit with a fine for unnecessary roughness. For context, nine players were fined for unnecessary roughness in Week 12. The most substantial one was on Brian Branch of the Detroit Lions, who was fined $23,186 for a hit on a defenseless player.

Both the Giants and the Patriots will now need to wait for the NFL’s decision on the incident. The league will make the announcement on Saturday via the weekly gameday accountability report.