New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was completely flattened on the final play of the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.
Facing second-and-10, Dart never saw the blitzer coming after running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. missed his assignment. Vikings safety Jay Ward delivered a crushing hit that drove the second-year quarterback into the turf.
BIG FOOTBALL HITS ARE SO BACK.
— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/11JOVdunxm
Dart was quickly sent into the blue medical tent for evaluation, with veteran Jameis Winston briefly taking over at quarterback. Dart returned to the game a few plays later. On his first play back, he connected with rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields for a 15-yard touchdown.
The sequence served as an unwelcome flashback to Dart’s rookie season a year ago, when he spent considerable time in the blue tent amid multiple concussion evaluations. Those repeated stops fueled ongoing questions about the physical demands of his style of play.
The NFL posted video of the hit with the caption noting that big football hits are back. Early observations indicated the impact landed primarily in the torso, but league protocol required the immediate check.
Dart had been expected to see limited action in the preseason opener under new head coach John Harbaugh as the Giants work toward the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: See it: New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart flattened by crushing hit