Jaxson Dart vows to keep playing 'aggressive' after taking massive hit in first game back from concussion

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart looks like he could be something special. While he hasn't led the Giants to many wins yet, he's shown plenty of potential thanks to his dual-threat ability. When the pocket collapses, Dart is capable of picking up big yardage with his legs. There's still work to do, but Dart has the ability to bring the Giants back to their winning ways.

But only if he can stay healthy.

Dart returned from a concussion Monday night after missing two games. During his absence, a number of stories were written suggesting the Giants and those around the team urged Dart to take better care of himself when on the move. The team didn't want Dart to stop running, but wanted him to be smart about avoiding big hits when he escaped the pocket.

It didn't take long for Dart to prove he wasn't going to take that advice. With roughly four minutes left in the first quarter, Dart took off on a 2nd and 13 looking to pick up the first down. As he ran up the sideline, Dart remained in bounds trying to reach the first-down line. He nearly got there before he was sent flying after a massive hit by New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss.

That sparked a brawl.

The hit looked pretty devastating in the moment, but, as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman explained on the broadcast, it was actually a legal hit. Dart was a runner and wasn't giving himself up on the play, so it was perfectly legal for Elliss to hit Dart. The officials felt the same, as Elliss' hit was not penalized. Giants tight end Theo Johnson actually received a penalty for confronting Elliss following the play.

Dart remained in the game, though couldn't lead the Giants to a win. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown in the 33-15 loss to the Patriots.

Dart proved to be OK after the Elliss hit, but it was exactly the type of play he was supposed to avoid after missing time with a concussion. After the game, however, Dart defended his decision to keep playing aggressively.

Dart later said that there were instances in the game where he slid and avoided other potential hits, a sign he's trying to be smarter about protecting his body. But he ended that sentiment with, "You're going to get hit. It's football."

While that's true, there's a difference between a quarterback taking a sack and refusing to give himself up with the sideline right next to him. Dart managed to avoid another serious injury following Elliss' hit, but the quarterback would almost certainly be better served just running out of bounds the next time he finds himself in that situation.