With Brian Daboll gone and the New York Giants scrambling, interim coach Mike Kafka has taken a clear stand for quarterback Jaxson Dart, who’s sidelined in concussion protocol. Kafka isn’t buying the idea that Dart should stop playing aggressively.

“You’re playing a game of football,” Kafka said. “You’re playing an aggressive game to begin with. That’s a violent game. I think Jaxson’s aggressiveness, the last thing I want him out there is playing timid or afraid of getting injured. You want him to go play as hard as he possibly can.”

Kafka’s remarks came after he was asked how Dart could be coached to be less reckless without losing his fearlessness.

While ESPN’s Adam Schefter had reported that the Giants have urged Dart to be more selective and more aware of when he runs, Kafka has a different take on this. In his mind, football is a violent sport by nature, and the last thing he wants is for Dart to start playing scared or overly cautious.

“He’s an aggressive player, and that’s what we love about him, but obviously you wanna show him some examples that he could learn from,” Kafka said. “You don’t wanna put a player like that in a box.”

The interim head coach wants Dart to play hard, play freely, and trust his instincts, the same way he has played his whole life. But on the other side of the spectrum, it naturally raises a question: Is Dart’s aggressiveness helping him? For the time being, let’s just say it’s 50-50.

For starters, Dart has been efficient on the ground throughout his short NFL career, as the QB rushed for 317 yards and racked up 7 rushing touchdowns so far. But at the same time, he has sustained multiple concussions. If the reports are true, the rookie quarterback suffered his fourth concussion of the season against the Chicago Bears in Week 10. The result? He had to sit out against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

To put that in perspective, repeated concussions and repeated head impacts increase the risk of longer recovery and long-term problems. Even so, Kafka isn’t trying to turn Dart into a timid, hesitant quarterback. But at the same time, he believes that the rookie is smart enough to know when to slide, when to avoid hits, and when to protect himself.

“There’s going to be opportunities for him to go ahead and get down, and I trust that he’s going to make the smart choice,” Kafka added. “There’s going to be opportunities where he’s got to go get a first down, and I trust that he’s going to go make the right choice.”

In short, playing aggressively has been one of the reasons behind Dart’s success in college and in his short NFL career. However, the Giants now demand just one thing from him: be smart enough to play hard while making the right choices amid the uncertainty of whether he’ll return next week.

Will Jaxson Dart suit up against the Lions?

The 2025 NFL season rolls into Week 12, and suddenly, all eyes are on Jaxson Dart. The rookie quarterback suffered a concussion in Week 10, missed a portion of that game, and then sat out every practice leading up to the Packers matchup before eventually being ruled out altogether.

Now the big question is hanging over the Giants: can Dart actually suit up and play under center in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions? Per Mike Kafka, it’s still unclear whether Dart will be able to play against the Lions or not.

“Jaxson’s still in the protocol,” Kafka said. “So I’m just gonna see that through, talk with the medical. And when they give us the thumbs up, we’ll take our next action.”

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The signs are pretty clear based on Kafka’s comments: Dart’s status for Week 12 is still very much up in the air. With him sidelined, Jameis Winston got the start against the Packers, and if Dart isn’t cleared in time, you can expect the veteran to take the reins again against Detroit.