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The Washington Commanders didn’t try to hide their game plan from Jaxson Dart — they wanted to “go out and hit.”
That’s what “Hard Knocks” cameras caught head coach Dan Quinn telling his team as they prepared to face the New York Giants and the rookie sensation, who has been checked for five concussions and diagnosed with one since the preseason began.
It’s no secret that Dart uses his legs as a weapon, but the rookie has probably taken one too many hits. Quinn pointed out a New England Patriots linebacker’s crushing hit on Dart two weeks ago when Dart was returning from a concussion.
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The Washington Commanders defense tries to bring down New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) in the second quarter, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
“When he’s out here, he’s a running back first,” Quinn said. “This is a good hit by Christian Elliss on the sideline, okay? He doesn’t want to go down and get in the slide. We’re going to hit it, guys.”
Dart scoffed at Quinn’s comments, as he has other concerns about the hits he’s taken this season, saying their game plan is nothing he hasn’t seen before.
“I mean, [Georgia coach] Kirby Smart said the exact same thing every time he played me, he did [former Alabama coach] Nick Saban, so did every coach I played for in college,” Dart, an Ole Miss alum, said Wednesday after practice, via SNY . “This is nothing new. It’s not like a new thing that’s been brought up in my career.”
Washington Commanders defensive end Jacob Martin tackles New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
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Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. echoed Quinn’s sentiment.
“The quarterback is a very competitive dual-threat guy,” Whitt said in a meeting. “He’ll try to run the ball like a running back. He’ll try to run you over. He’ll try to stiff arm. He doesn’t really run out of bounds. He doesn’t slide a whole bunch. We can get the ball away from him. The ball is life, it’s air, and we need it.”
The Commanders went on the road to down the Giants, 29-21, even with Marcus Mariota at the helm. Dart’s 55.6 completion percentage was his lowest mark of the season, but he did run nine times for 63 yards.
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Dart has gained just 400 yards on the ground on 80 carries, seven of which have resulted in touchdowns. He will certainly look to add to those numbers against a stout Minnesota Vikings defense on Sunday in New Jersey.
