Jaxson Dart is progressing toward playing for the Giants at Detroit, interim coach Mike Kafka says

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jaxson Dart continues to progress through concussion protocol, and New York Giants interim coach Mike Kafka said the rookie quarterback is trending toward playing Sunday at Detroit as long as there are no setbacks in the process.

Kafka said Dart would go through a non-contact practice Wednesday, but would not reveal whether he or veteran Jameis Winston would get the majority of snaps with the first-team offense. Dart missed the game last weekend against the Packers, a 27-20 loss that Winston started, after getting concussed Nov. 9 in a loss to Chicago.

Kafka confirmed the plan is for Winston to serve as the backup against the Lions if Dart is cleared to start, which is the Giants’ plan rather than taking a conservative approach and holding the 22-year-old out until Dec. 1 at New England.

“If he’s healthy and cleared to go, then I’d like Jaxson Dart to play,” Kafka said. “Only if he’s healthy and ready to go, and that’s based on what the doctors have to say.”

Practicing without contact is a phase of the NFL’s concussion protocol, though QBs are never subject to being hit in these circumstances.

Returning from a concussion after missing a game is another new challenge for Dart, who took over for Russell Wilson after an 0-3 start and is expected to pick up his development as he left off with New York at 2-9 and playing out the string.

“I don’t want to speak for Jaxson, but he’s a pretty smart player and he was dialed in to our game plans last week,” Kafka said. “He’s been preparing like this, even early in the season when he wasn’t the starter, so I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

Whenever Dart is back on the field, the organizational hope would be for him to take fewer hits, such as the one that knocked him out against the Bears and kept him from facing the Packers. Kafka considers it a fine line between not taking Dart’s aggressiveness away and balancing that against his long-term health.

“He is a competitor, and that’s why we love this guy,” Kafka said. “He’ll continue to learn and grow, but you don’t want to put a player like that in a box. Obviously, you want to show him the examples that he can improve on and I think he’ll take that to the bank.”

Along with throwing for 10 touchdowns, Dart has also run for seven more in his first seven professional starts.

“His legs are an asset to our offense,” running back Tyrone Tracy said. “With him coming back, I think that his legs will help us in certain areas of the field and he’ll help us get out of certain situations.”

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