Jaxson Dart Compares Himself to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen While Defending His Playing Style

Perry Knotts/Getty; Maddie Meyer/Getty; Matt Kelley/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Jaxson Dart defended himself after he was criticized for taking big hits during games

• The New York Giants rookie took another hit in his return to the field on Dec. 1, his first game since sustaining a concussion two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears

• Dart compared his play to the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and the Bills' Josh Allen

Jaxson Dart is defending his gritty playing style.

The New York Giants quarterback, 22, doesn't plan on changing his approach to the position despite getting criticism for taking unnecessary risks on the field, particularly in the wake of his recovery from a concussion.

In his post-game press conference after the Giants played the New England Patriots on Dec. 1, Dart — who returned to the field that night for the first time since sustaining a concussion during a game two weeks prior — was asked about taking big hits.

"This is football. I'm going to get hit if I'm in the pocket or outside the pocket. I played this way my whole entire life. This shouldn't be like any shocker to anybody if you've followed along with my career," he told reporters after the Giants lost to the Patriots, putting their record at 2-11 on the season.

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"We're not playing soccer out here," he added. "You're going to get hit. Things happen. It's just part of the game."

The rookie QB was asked a follow-up question in a locker room media scrum the day after the press conference about there being "a fine line" when deciding between "taking care of yourself" and "getting that extra yard."

In his response, Dart made clear that he isn't the only quarterback who takes hits.

"There's a time and place for things," he said. "I watch quarterbacks who play kind of like me around the league. I watched how Josh Allen plays, I watched how Patrick Mahomes plays. They take hits, too, so I'm not an anomaly here."

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The line of questioning came after Dart took another big hit on Monday night.

Dart attempted to run the ball on a second down before ultimately getting flattened near the first down marker by New England linebacker Christian Elliss, in attempt to pick up a few extra yards.

The Giants quarterback, who was hit mid run down the sideline, went flying out of bounds as a result. His teammates got riled up, targeted Elliss and a scuffle with pushing and shoving ensued.

Dart has been evaluated for a concussion four times this season. He recently missed two games while in concussion protocol.

Next, Dart and the Giants take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Read the original article on People