If you could literally split open the brain of New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, it would probably reveal this text: PROTECT YOURSELF.

That has been the constant reminder for Dart in his sophomore year, as the Giants have made a concerted effort to instill in him that he cannot always absorb heavy contact. Last season, he made multiple visits to the blue tent and missed two games due to a concussion.

The 23-year-old signal-caller said he is still adjusting, recalibrating his mind to slide instead of taking a big hit. ESPN's Jordan Raanan pointed out that Dart went out of bounds twice in their win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.

“I definitely take it into account. As I said during training camp, it's important to me to be as healthy as I was from the last snap to the next snap. That puts me in the best situation to execute my job for the team and help put ourselves in the best situation possible,” said Dart in a video posted by Raanan.

I asked Jaxson Dart about protecting himself. He ran out of bounds 2x on Sunday night and seems to be making an effort.

"Definitely take it into account. … it's the right thing to do at times." #Giants pic.twitter.com/lSfPPi5puT

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 16, 2026

He went 23-of-29 for 230 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Cowboys. He also had 11 carries for 54 yards. He was sacked twice.

In the first quarter, he received a late hit from Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, which almost caused a huge brawl.

It is imperative for Dart to remain on the field if the Giants want to break their three-year playoff drought, and the whole team knows that Dart's self-preservation will be a huge factor.

“It's not anything that we've had too many discussions about. It's more of all of us just having an understanding that it's the right thing to do at times,” added Dart.

New York will visit the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.