The New York Giants‘ preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings brought the exciting return of football. But it also brought a highly questionable coaching decision that has sparked major criticism. During the exhibition, an independent medical spotter sent Jaxson Dart to the medical tent after Vikings safety Jay Ward sacked the quarterback and knocked the wind out of his lungs. But soon after the checkup, Giants head coach John Harbaugh brought the star quarterback back onto the field for one last play.

With concerns of concussion swirling around Dart, Harbaugh’s decision didn’t sit well with WFAN host Craig Carton. 

“If Jaxson Dart is not your quarterback, all due respect to Jameis Winston, you’re done,” Carton lashed out on WFAN Sports Radio. “If Jaxson Dart doesn’t live up to the billing, you’re done.

“So, I’m trying to figure out, knowing that everybody thinks that Jaxson Dart’s a franchise quarterback, and there’s a lot of people that believe and maybe I do too, that that’s one of the core reasons why John Harbaugh wanted this job. 

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“As soon as the medical staff or the objective medical viewer says he’s gotta come off the field for a concussion protocol, how in the world do you put him back out on that field? What was the need to bring him back on the field for one more play? He risked the entire season by bringing him back for one more play.”

Dart completed three passes for 26 yards and scored one touchdown in the game against the Vikings. Opposing defenders sacked him twice, which raised immediate concerns. However, the medical staff’s decision to send him to the blue tent for a possible head injury puzzled the quarterback. And missing those plays clearly frustrated him.

“I really respect the rules and the thought behind the NFL’s efforts to keep players healthy and reviewing things,” Dart said in the post-game interview. “But at the same time, I’m still puzzled by it just feeling like every time that I get hit, I find my way in there. I still try to wrap my head around it. But that’s all that I’m going to say about that situation.” 

While the protocol worked as intended, Carton remained deeply frustrated by the lack of media scrutiny around the situation. He questioned why the coaching staff was willing to risk the entire season on a preseason snap.

Carton further argued that if Robert Saleh, Brian Daboll, and Ben McAdoo had made a similar decision, they would have been under heavy scrutiny. But Harbaugh didn’t receive that scrutiny.

For his part, Harbaugh told the media on Sunday that he wasn’t going to be critical of the league. After all, they simply want to protect the players. However, he did convey that it was frustrating for Dart to undergo the mandated evaluations. 

The Giants ultimately escaped with their franchise quarterback healthy. But that came with a 13-10 defeat. For now, we need to wait and watch how the team performs in the upcoming games.