The first week of preseason is here for the New York Giants, and the excitement is palpable. With head coach John Harbaugh assuming the reins of the franchise and the potential their rookie quarterback showed last season, there was a ton of hype from the fan base.
Unfortunately, the start to their preseason might have given them some serious worry, with Jaxson Dart taking a brutal hit. As a result, he was even checked for a concussion in the tent, leaving fans worried about his status.
Jaxson Dart Takes Scary Hit
After initially keeping his choice private, Harbaugh declared on the day of the game that he planned on giving his starters some reps against the Minnesota Vikings. Understandably, there was excitement from the fans as they finally got to see the crew back in action.
It started solid enough in the first quarter. But then it looked like tragedy struck. Facing a second down, the Giants went for a passing play. However, as soon as Dart got the ball, his running back, Tyrone Tracy, completely whiffed on the block.
What followed was a brutal hit directly to Dart’s midsection that caused him to return to the sideline immediately. Taken into the medical tent, New York sent out veteran Jameis Winston to handle the quarterbacking duties.
Jaxson Dart getting leveled in preseason.
Tyrone Tracy was in on pass pro. pic.twitter.com/JGu2UGN6JY— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) August 15, 2026
Jordan Raanan of ESPN confirmed on X, “Jaxson Dart officially was checked for a concussion.”
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However, that didn’t stop the Giants from inserting him back into the mix. Despite a 40-yard completion from Winston, the team switched Dart back into the game.
He came in for a single snap, whipping a 15-yard pass that was hauled in miraculously by Malachi Fields to get the first touchdown of the game, as the Giants took a 7-3 lead. With the team confident enough to send him back into the game, it doesn’t look like the injury was a major cause for concern.
The level of difficulty here from Dart 🔥
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/nArkhO2qmh
— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
But after concussions became a major storyline for Dart last season (he was checked for one on five separate occasions), fans will be anxious that it once again remains a major worry with him, even in a preseason contest.
Even with those injury concerns, Dart finished the 2025 season with 2,272 passing yards and 15 touchdowns against just five interceptions, while also adding 487 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground to finish at number 23 on PFN’s QB Impact Metric.
The hope is that he can build on that season under Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, while the Giants try to take a step further in the NFC East and potentially emerge as a viable playoff contender.
