C.J. Stroud telling Caleb Williams to stop taking hits somehow turned into a controversial moment last year. To many, it came across as unsolicited advice, mainly because Williams appeared disinterested after his Bears had just lost to Stroud’s Texans.
I get that advice should often come from more seasoned players, and in this case, it was a second-year Stroud telling a then-rookie Williams to protect himself. But Stroud could relate to Williams, as both are franchise quarterbacks selected high in the draft with plenty riding on their availability.
Stroud wasn’t trying to “little bro” Williams and quarterbacks don’t need to pay their dues to quickly realize that every hit absorbed runs the risk of shortening the span of their NFL careers. But as a rookie, it’s easy to overlook the future because this league is all about fast results. I’m sure Stroud wished he had listened to his peers about avoiding hits faster than he did, and I bet several players and coaches of all ages tried to warn him. However, advice often doesn’t sink in until the bullets stop flying in the offseason.
So it made sense that Stroud did everything he could to make sure Williams heard some of his words. Williams, who has taken a lot less hits in his second season, might have done the same for rookie Jaxson Dart after the Bears beat the Giants last month. Or maybe not, because it would have been annoying to hear that from the quarterback who essentially took his job in college, when Williams transferred from Oklahoma to USC, forcing Dart into the transfer portal to eventually join Ole Miss. Regardless, Dart wasn’t around for a postgame exchange because he was in the locker room being treated for a concussion, which sidelined him two games.
Those who have crossed paths with Dart in recent weeks have likely told him to stop taking hits. ESPN’s Troy Aikman said Dart appeared annoyed when the topic about him protecting himself came up during their meetings with the Giants in the lead-up to Monday night’s game against the Patriots.
Clearly, Dart isn’t listening to the advice because he took a few more massive shots during the Giants’ 33–15 loss to New England. He’s earned himself plenty of respect for putting his body on the line throughout his rookie season. Extending plays is a big reason why he’s been able to hit the ground running and gained himself credibility as a franchise-caliber quarterback. But that trait also led to coach Brian Daboll being fired in the middle of the season. It wasn’t all the losing in three and half seasons that finally gave Daboll his walking papers. It was his inability to protect the prized rookie quarterback, which is a bit ironic because he was also instrumental in having Dart ready to go, from beating the Chargers in his debut to defeating the rival Eagles a few weeks later. But team owner John Mara likely couldn’t stand watching Dart make several trips to the blue medical tent, especially after designed runs.
Interim coach Mike Kafka quickly found out Monday night why Daboll had so much trouble reining in Dart. The rookie first-round pick tried to get a few extra yards when he escaped the pocket in the first quarter, but he was sent flying into the sideline after meeting the right shoulder of linebacker Christian Elliss. There’s not much defenders hate more than seeing a quarterback attempt to gain a few more yards instead of making their way out of bounds. The play led to a scuffle between the two teams, with tight end Theo Johnson being at the forefront of protecting his quarterback. But these Giants should take a few boxing classes because they might find themselves in more fights if Dart doesn’t learn how to slide or be more willing to throw the ball away.
Dart also got rocked for refusing to throw the ball away after the pocket quickly collapsed on him early in the game. He would have been better off just going down or rifling the ball to the sidelines. But that’s not in Dart’s nature, at least not now as a rookie.
Again, it must not be easy to tell a rookie first-round quarterback to tone it down when there’s so much expected of him right away. That’s why quarterbacks are staying longer in college, because if there’s any ounce of doubt about not being capable of starting right away, that could make the difference between having a lengthy pro career or becoming the latest first-round pick who rapidly lost his job. It’s happening right now to Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, and it occurred in the summer to Anthony Richardson, the 2023 No. 4 pick who lost his job to Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. You know, the same Jones whom the Giants couldn’t figure out how to utilize.
But there will be no developmental plan for Dart if he’s not available on the field. Maybe it’s on the Giants to bench him if he refuses to protect himself for the final four games this season. Sure, that’s pretty drastic, but it might be the only way to get an extremely competitive quarterback to listen about not taking unnecessary hits.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaxson Dart Needs to Start Listening to the Annoying Advice.
