New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said Jaxson Dart grasps the importance of staying healthy and not taking too many risks when running the ball.
"He's aware of it. You got a fine line. I remember hearing the same thing about Lamar (Jackson), and the same things were said about Lamar really every year, but especially after the first season. 'It's unsustainable the way he plays. It's never gonna last. You've got to protect him. He can't run as much,'" Harbaugh told ESPN's "The Domonique Foxworth Show."
The former Baltimore Ravens coach added, "But I do think that playing the game in a way that respects the fact that there are other guys out there that are capable of doing damage to you when you have the ball in your hands, especially for the quarterback, is important. I trust that Jaxson understands that."
Dart is entering his second season as the Giants' starting quarterback after being selected in the first round of the 2025 draft. He sat behind Russell Wilson to begin the campaign but ultimately suited up in 14 games with 12 starts. He missed two games due to a concussion he suffered in Week 10.
The 23-year-old was hit often as a rookie. He took the seventh-most sacks on a per-game basis among all NFL quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. He also consistently took off from the pocket, ranking fifth among all QBs in scrambles per contest (2.71).
Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll regularly called designed quarterback runs; Dart's 2.93 designed runs were the second most among signal-callers, behind only Jalen Hurts. Harbaugh said the offense will be different in his first season with the team and will do more to try to keep Dart out of harm's way.
"Jaxson's capable of doing a lot of things," Harbaugh added. "Like he can live in a lot of different worlds, football-wise. He can live in a power-running game, obviously, and a power-running game protects the quarterback because you can hand the ball off and get yards and make people defend that and keep them honest. Then, it opens up your play-action passing game. ... That stuff, we're gonna be in those worlds."
Dart finished the season with 2,759 total yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven turnovers. His 91.7 passer rating was the highest among all rookie quarterbacks.
New York will report to training camp July 28 and face off against the Dallas Cowboys in its season opener Sept. 13.
