Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is in the concussion protocol and will not play in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
But interim head coach Mike Kafka said Dart is “right on track” and taking steps in the process to work his way back.
“He’s in the middle of it, and to be honest with you, I have a lot of trust in our medical staff and our medical team, and they’re taking great care of him,” Kafka said Wednesday. “So each day I get a little bit of an update, he’s right on track and right on pace in the program.”
The next question is whether the Giants (2-8) will put Dart back on the field once he clears.
Kafka was focused simply on running his first practice and preparing starter Jameis Winston for Sunday after Brian Daboll’s Monday firing.
Still, it will be interesting to see if the Giants will shelve Dart until their early December bye week — or for all seven of their remaining games — given his four concussion evaluations in four months during a promising rookie season.
The future is too important to risk Dart’s long-term health, especially with top weapons Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo already out for the year and a lame duck staff in place running the team.
And Dart’s diagnosed concussion on Sunday was mishandled either by the Giants or the NFL spotters or both when he was not evaluated despite being motionless after hitting his head on the ground and fumbling against the Chicago Bears.
Kafka did note that “when [Dart] is ready to go,” the Giants will work to “have a great plan to keep him healthy.”
The best way to keep him healthy, though, might be to not play him at all.
ADEBO PRACTICING, NEAL INJURED
A ton of Giants did not practice on Wednesday due to injury: Dart (concussion), kicker Graham Gano (neck), middle linebacker Bobby Okereke (shoulder), wide receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring), edge Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck), linebacker Neville Hewitt (foot), guard Evan Neal (hamstring), safety Tyler Nubin (neck) and defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. (toe).
Neal has dressed for only one game and has not played a single snap this season. So it was unexpected to see him on Wednesday’s list.
Corner Paulson Adebo (knee), who has missed the last three games, was back at practice and limited. Center John Michael Schmitz (shin), tight end Daniel Bellinger (groin) and edge Victor Dimukeje (shoulder) also were limited.
