John Harbaugh blasts pass protection after Jaxson Dart injury scare

The New York Giants got back on the gridiron to open their preseason slate on Saturday. And despite a new era beginning under head coach John Harbaugh, it did not take long for a concerning trend that emerged last year to continue for the franchise – Jaxson Dart making a mid-game trip to the medical tent.

At the end of the first quarter, Dart was still on the field getting his first set of game reps after his first offseason under Harbaugh’s coaching. And on the final play of the period, Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward went untouched across the line of scrimmage before delivering a violent hit to an unprotected Dart. The second-year quarterback would visit the medical tent before being cleared and returning to action to throw a touchdown pass.

On Sunday, after a day to watch the film on the play and further analyze the situation, Harbaugh was furious about the missed assignment that led to Dart being hit, making it clear that he has higher expectations for the team’s blockers to protect Dart.

“There’s no way he should have been hit there,” he said. “It just shouldn’t have happened. That was a basic protection. Should have been protected and we expect him in that situation to be protected in the future.”

John Harbaugh still upset about the pass protection breakdown that led to the hit that sent Jaxson Dart to the medical tent: “There’s no way he should have been hit there. It just shouldn’t have happened. That was a basic protection. Should have been protected and we expect him…

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) August 16, 2026

For Dart, the quick trip to the medical tent came after he made five similar trips during a ten-game stretch as a rookie. After taking such a beating in his first year in the league, the last thing he needs at this point is to be put at significant risk of injury during the preseason. This is probably why Harbaugh reacted so furiously to the missed assignment that led to the injury scare.

Thankfully, he was able to get back into action and looked fine afterward, with Dart indicating he had just had the wind knocked out of him. But a quarterback can only take so many vicious hits before they begin to add up, and Harbaugh will want to make sure that pass protection is a priority moving forward to keep his young quarterback healthy.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: John Harbaugh blasts pass protection after Jaxson Dart injury scare