Eli Manning gives blunt advice to Jaxson Dart, reacts to Giants' hiring of John Harbaugh

Long before Jaxson Dart featured for the New York Giants this season as a rookie quarterback, Eli Manning famously completed a switch from Ole Miss to the Giants back in 2004. 

Manning ultimately guided the Giants to a pair of Super Bowl titles, and he is now revered as a franchise legend. During Wednesday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up" program, Manning offered Dart important advice regarding what the 22-year-old should focus on over the next eight months.

Eli Manning to Jaxson Dart: The most important ability is availability

"Obviously, the No. 1 thing is he’s got to learn to be available every week," Manning said about Dart, per Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "He takes some hits. That’s just something being young and understanding that these guys are big in the NFL and the hits are a little bit bigger. You’ve got to learn when to slide, when to take the hits and do those things." 

It's no secret that Dart was evaluated for concussions during games five times from the preseason through the middle of December. While he missed two November contests because of a concussion, he later started the final five games of New York's campaign.

On multiple occasions during the second half of the season, Dart somewhat defiantly insisted he would continue to play "aggressively" despite concerns related to his long-term health. Perhaps he should speak with Manning about that mindset before springtime workouts get underway. 

Why Eli Manning is excited about Giants' hiring of John Harbaugh

Dart has a fan in John Harbaugh, who was publicly introduced as the Giants' new head coach during a Tuesday news conference. As of Wednesday morning, it was expected that Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken would soon hold that job with the Giants unless a different team hires him to be its next head coach. 

"He’s been successful, he’s been in the league and he knows how to handle the New York media," Manning said about the Giants' hiring of Harbaugh. "There’s going to be no situation that’s new to him or too big for him. He’s bringing that belief that, 'Hey, we can win here and we can do it.' Having [young players such as Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo] step into that role of being leaders of this team and creating a great culture, I’m excited about the future of the Giants." 

As Manning alluded to, that future largely looks bright because of hope related to what Dart could become under Harbaugh. If injuries sideline Dart for multiple games next season, Harbaugh and Co. may need to have some difficult conversations about the Giants' quarterback situation.