Stephen A. Smith has one hurtful word to describe Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart’s rushing ability has helped the offense move the ball, but it’s also exposed him to big hits. That risk materialized Monday night in the 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots , when Dart took two massive shots while running near the sideline.

The incident has reignited concerns about his decision-making, particularly given that he returned to the field Monday after missing last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers after suffering a concussion. ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has been among those calling for Dart to be more cautious. On Tuesday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith called out Dart for his style of play,

“It’s very idiotic on his part,” Smith said. “I want to use that strong word not to insult him. I want to use that strong word so he understands the severity of what we’re talking about here, and he protects himself.”

Dart ranks fifth in the NFL among quarterbacks in rushing yards with 337 and third in rushing touchdowns with seven, behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (11) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (8).

Smith continued to criticize Dart, saying the rookie quarterback needed to account for the fact that the defenses he is playing against have a higher skill level than what he saw last year at Ole Miss.

“These aren’t those guys you were going against in college,” Smith said. “This isn’t some rec league. All of these guys aspire to be in the NFL, and when you get to the NFL, you want to forget what this league is and what it meant to you and why it was so important to you to get to this level.”

“This is the crème de la crème,” Smith continued. “This is the elite. These are men out here, not boys. The fact of the matter is subjecting yourself to unnecessary violence is not a smart thing for a quarterback to do.”

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