Malik Willis is expected to play vs Giants according to Yahoo! Sports, especially since backup Quinn Ewers is dealing with a groin injury. Still, it’s not expected for Willis to play a huge portion of the game.

The Dolphins have infamously one of the most doubted rosters in the NFL, especially on offense, and these preseason snaps could help Willis and company to form a bit more chemistry.

Is Jaxson Dart playing for the Giants vs Dolphins?

Jaxson Dart will also play, however, it’s been stated that he will start and play very limited snaps vs. Dolphins. This could mean around a couple of drives at most. The Giants trust Dart already, so there’s no need to risk him much.

Also, reports state that Dart has been dealing in joint practices, making all his wideouts shine. Therefore, the Giants are feeling great on their offensive side and the couple of drives will be for them to get the feel of football back again.

The Giants and Dolphins are in very different positions

The Giants rebuild is one to watch, because if all goes well, they could instantly go from a bad team to a young, brave team with playoffs potential. John Harbaugh‘s head coaching job will transform this team.

As for the Dolphins, they are fully on a rebuild. Malik Willis has never been a starting quarterback, Jeff Hafley is a rookie head coach, and the overall talent on the roster is not dazzling. Hence, their project is merely on baby steps, rather than expecting a leap.

Mauigoa, the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, left practice after experiencing an issue in the intense South Florida conditions. The humidity was extremely high, creating difficult circumstances for both teams throughout the session.

The initial indication was that the problem was heat-related and not considered serious. Minutes after practice ended, Giants head coach John Harbaugh provided a more encouraging update on the rookie.

What is Francis Mauigoa’s injury update?

John Harbaugh described Mauigoa’s issue as more of a stinger and indicated that he does not believe the situation is overly serious. That update is significant for the Giants, particularly because Mauigoa is expected to play an important role on the offensive line during his rookie season.

The initial concern came when the first-round pick was forced to leave the practice field. However, the latest information suggests the Giants avoided a major injury and that Mauigoa’s absence was more precautionary than anything else.

Mauigoa’s development will be closely connected to the Giants’ plans for Jaxson Dart. Protecting the franchise quarterback will be one of the offensive line’s most important responsibilities as Jaxson continues adjusting to the NFL.

That makes any issue involving Mauigoa worth monitoring, even if this particular scare appears minor. The conditions in Miami also provide important context. South Florida’s humidity was described as extremely difficult during the joint practice, and Mauigoa’s struggles in the heat do not necessarily indicate a larger problem.

For now, the Giants appear to have avoided the worst-case scenario. If Harbaugh’s assessment proves accurate, Mauigoa should be able to move forward and continue preparing for his first NFL season.

According to Giants insider Jordan Raanan, Dart completed 16 of 22 passes with one interception, while two of his incompletions came on intentional spikes. More importantly, he connected on several deep throws to Malachi Fields and Isaiah Likely and appeared to be firmly in control of the offense.

Dart was pleased with his performance after the joint practice with the Miami Dolphins and described his outing in simple terms. “I felt like I played clean.” Great news for John Harbaugh.

Jaxson Dart looked great with NY Giants

Jaxson Dart’s assessment matched what the Giants saw on the field. Dart reportedly opened practice with several explosive throws, giving New York a glimpse of the big-play potential that has generated excitement around him since last season.

Raanan noted that the Giants started with what appeared to be four deep completions in succession, although two of those throws went to Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin rather than Fields or Likely. The larger point remains important: Dart was consistently pushing the ball downfield and looked comfortable doing it.

Jaxson Dart’s Giants development takes another step

For a young quarterback, practices like this can be extremely valuable. Dart is still learning the Giants’ new offense under OC Matt Nagy. So, showing command while attacking vertically is an encouraging sign.

His performance also comes at an important point in the preseason. The Giants need to determine how quickly Dart can become a legitimate option for the future, and every strong practice gives the coaching staff more evidence to work with.

Dart’s interception prevents the session from being considered perfect, but his overall performance appears to have been exactly what the Giants wanted to see.

He still has plenty to prove before the regular season, but this was a significant step in the right direction. If Dart can build on this performance, the Giants could have even more reason to believe they found their franchise quarterback.

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “The NFL says the evaluation of Jaxson Dart was a ‘standard medical timeout’… There are multiple independent neurologists and medical trainers looking for impact and injury behavior on replay, which could lead to a player being checked.“

While it is true that when Dart fell to the ground he was slow to get up, the play didn’t end with Dart’s head being hit. What the doctors might have thought was that the ricochet of the fall might have caused some damage on the Giants signal-caller.

Dart’s history with concussions might have played a part in all of this

The fact that Jaxson Dart was checked for concussions in five different occasions last season is clearly something the doctors take into consideration. Hence, that’s why precautions might have been taken with Dart, despite the NFL saying it was a standard procedure.

Considering Dart plays in a huge market like New York, and is one of the NFL’s youngest stars, it’s in the organization’s best interest to assure he is healthy. It might not make Dart happy, but it is what it is.

Dart is not the only QB constantly on concussion watch

Dart is the one with the headlines right now, but he is not the first one. Famously, Tua Tagovailoa has four documented concussions. Three of them were in the NFL and two of them were relatively close from each other.

Tagovailoa is also an injury prone quarterback. Dart hasn’t gotten to that point. However, he plays in a way where he doesn’t take much care of his body. He must evolve a bit and take care of himself.

This gives John Harbaugh a variety of styles at the signal-caller position: Jaxson Dart as the main figure, with three experienced players behind him — Jameis Winston, Brandon Allen, who joined from the Tennessee Titans, and the recently mentioned Jake Haener.

The Giants know this will be a highly competitive season, both physically and in terms of talent. Haener’s arrival provides a boost not only to the team’s morale but also an interesting alternative on the depth chart.

Jake Haener’s NFL journey

Selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Fresno State, Jake Haener has served primarily as a backup in New Orleans. After sitting out his rookie campaign due to a suspension, Haener made his league debut in 2024, appearing in eight games with one start.

Over his NFL career, he has completed 18 of 39 passes (46.2%) for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while adding 22 rushing yards on 11 carries. He will now look to gain valuable experience upon his arrival in East Rutherford, joining a team with serious aspirations of reaching the Super Bowl.

More new faces in New York?

The New York Giants continue their pursuit of building a competitive roster, and the backfield is clearly an area they are looking to strengthen. NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that Najee Harris visited the G-Men’s facilities, making a potential move to New York a possibility.

“I heard something that made me have my eyes on the wrong side,” the running back said, via Newsday. “That was really it. I have to get my eyes right and block the guy. I did it two plays earlier. But on that play I heard an alert to the other side, so I had my eyes to the left instead of the right.”

From now on, it will be up to Tracy Jr. to be more attentive and avoid these types of mistakes, which could put his QB’s health at risk. “There isn’t really anything I can do at that point besides apologize and tell him it isn’t going to happen again, which it won’t. I don’t have many of those on my film pass-blocking-wise. It ain’t going to happen again.”

Jaxson Dart’s history of hits

During his rookie season, Jaxson Dart was evaluated in the blue medical tent for potential concussions a total of five times due to his physical, high-contact play style. However, he was officially diagnosed with a concussion only once, which occurred following a hit in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears.

That official diagnosis forced him into the league’s multi-step concussion protocol, causing him to miss two games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions before clearing protocol and returning to the starting lineup for Week 13.

A key protection for the Giants

During the 2026 NFL season, keeping Jaxson Dart healthy in the pocket relies heavily on a revamped and physical New York Giants offensive line. Anchored by veteran left tackle Andrew Thomas, who guards Dart’s blind side, the unit also features left guard Jon Runyan Jr. and center John Michael Schmitz Jr. maintaining a clean interior pocket.

On the right edge, veteran tackle Jermaine Eluemunor delivers steady pass protection, while the guard position remains focused on walling off interior pass rushers. Together, this core serves as the primary line of defense, aiming to drastically reduce the heavy hits Dart absorbs and ensure he stays healthy on the field.

The importance of running back blocking

Beyond the offensive line, pass protection from the backfield is vital to keeping Dart upright and out of harm’s way. Physical, hard-hitting running backs like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo provide the Giants with an essential secondary wall against blitzing linebackers and free rushers.

Skattebo’s high-energy, bowling-ball style allows him to step up into the A-gap and absorb heavy interior collisions, while Tracy’s combination of size and athletic transformation from receiver gives him the versatility to read blitz packages and pick up edge rushers.

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Harbaugh was livid. “There’s no way he should have been hit there. I mean, it just shouldn’t have happened. That was a basic protection.” Running back Tyrone Tracy caught a stray as he was the one whiffing his blocking assignment.

To be fair to Harbaugh, he is right. The fact is that the play was basic protection. Tracy, who is fighting to be an important piece on the roster, didn’t make himself any favors by botching that play. That play puzzled Jaxson Dart, as he had to be in a blue tent after the game.

Harbaugh is very intentional with pass protection duties

Harbaugh always runs a run-heavy scheme but that doesn’t mean he ignores fully the pass protection aspect of the game. In fact, he emphasizes on it. A prove of that is that he brought arguably the best blocking fullback in the NFL, Pat Ricard, to the team.

During the press conference on Saturday, Harbaugh also stated “My feelings in that moment was, we need to block better.” Hence, it’s imperative for the players, especially backs, to practice their blocking drills at full intensity. The Giants can’t afford getting Jaxson Dart getting injured.

Who are the best blockers in the NY Giants RB room?

The undisputed premier blocker in the New York Giants’ backfield is newly acquired fullback Patrick Ricard, who is a big presence at 6-foot-3, 300-pounds. Veteran Devin Singletary handles the top duties in pass protection when no full back is on the field.

Cam Skattebo is also a very physical blocker. This leaves Tracy as the last man in the blocking department. Seeing how he whiffed his assignment on that play, he is the one who has the most to learn in protection.

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “Jaxson Dart says he respects what the NFL is doing and trying to protect players but he’s ‘puzzled’ that every time he gets hit he gets called into the blue tent and given a concussion test.“

Dart received a big hit after running back Tyrone Tracy whiffed his blocking duties. After getting back up gingerly, he was taken into the blue tent and checked for a concussion. However, he told coach John Harbaugh that he got the wind knocked out of him and nothing more.

Dart’s history with concussions

Jaxson Dart has a notable history of frequent concussion evaluations tied to his physical, contact-heavy playing style. During his 2025 rookie season with the Giants, he was diagnosed with one official concussion but was pulled and sent to the medical tent for concussion checks five separate times.

Dart must be taken care of

The blue tent trip during his preseason game is not particularly a great example, as he just got the wind knocked out of him. However, for a quarterback that didn’t even play the full season to get five trips for concussions is big alarm.

Dart has the talent to be a franchise quarterback. He has all the tools. Arm, size, athleticism, physicality and dual-threat abilities. However, without availability, then nothing matters. Hence, the Giants must take care of him.

“The expectation is that Jaxson Dart and most of the Giants starters play Saturday vs. the Vikings,” ESPN‘s Jordan Raanan revealed on X. “Don’t think it will be for long but coach John Harbaugh said the other day he values first-team reps.”

ESPN insider Dan Graziano also addressed the situation surrounding newly acquired Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray: “Kyler Murray is going to start against the Giants.”

According to the Vikings’ official website, head coach Kevin O’Connell plans to use both Murray and J.J. McCarthy, while also leaving open the possibility of giving Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer some snaps during the preseason.

The expectations surrounding Jaxson Dart

Heading into his sophomore campaign in 2026, Jaxson Dart will look to build on a promising rookie season with the New York Giants and take a significant leap as a passer. In 2025, Dart completed 216 of 339 passes (63.7%) for 2,272 yards, throwing 15 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions for a solid 91.7 passer rating, while also adding 487 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground across 14 games (12 starts).

To elevate his game, the young signal-caller aims to sharpen his deep-ball accuracy, improve efficiency from the pocket, and leverage his dual-threat abilities to establish himself as a true franchise quarterback. Dart shares the quarterback room with Jameis Winston and Brandon Allen.

Vikings’ interesting QB room

Minnesota boasts one of the most compelling quarterback situations in the NFL, featuring a deep blend of high-upside youth and proven veteran talent. Head coach Kevin O’Connell faces a massive fork in the road this offseason, with a big decision on starting QB job between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray that will define the franchise’s trajectory.

Adding to the intrigue, the Vikings also have experienced backup Carson Wentz to provide reliable insurance, alongside young depth piece Max Brosmer. Balancing top-tier starter potential with such seasoned depth gives Minnesota an enviable dilemma and plenty of drama heading into training camp.

“I’ve been very impressed with Malachi and the things that he’s doing. He’s definitely a great young player,” Jameis Winston said to the press. “I just think his hunger, man, coming in day in and day out to get better. He has a great rapport with Jaxson (Dart). Man, he’s curious. He’s curious about what is required to be the best. And I think when you have that mindset, when you focus on what you love, it’s a setup for success.”

Jason Pinnock described him as a “freak athlete”: “Like, if I had to say one glaring thing, is ball skills. He caught a dagger, like a dig, over the middle early, and this was OTAs, and it was like, he was just levitating. I was kind of just waiting for him to come down. So, nah, he’s a freak. Freak athlete.”

What can fields bring to the Giants’ offense?

In his final college season at Notre Dame in 2025, Malachi Fields caught 36 passes for 630 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging a personal-best 17.5 yards per reception. Selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver brings a imposing physical presence and exceptional contested-catch ability.

Fields gives Jaxson Dart a big-bodied, reliable boundary and red-zone target to complement Malik Nabers, providing Dart with a physical playmaker who can win 50-50 balls downfield and ease his transition into leading the Giants’ offense.

The Giants’ important receiving corps

While they await Malik Nabers’ full recovery and with the additions of talents such as Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants, led by John Harbaugh, have one of the most important receiving corps in the NFC.

“I did. I clapped. I applauded,” Harbaugh said to the press. “I applauded when he did that. It was great. Critical situation drill. We were trying to get a third or fourth down, but mostly third down, like anywhere from three to five in a drive in a game where the offense can win the game in the fourth quarter with a conversion.

“So, play calls and execution to get that first down, that was what that was. So, we had a great play. He came open. He ran around the corner, got the first down, slid inbounds, kept the clock running. All those things were well done.”

These types of strategies will not only improve Dart’s game but also help protect his health even further. Continuing to improve as training progresses will be key for the G-Men’s main leader.

Dart, a risk-taking player

During his rookie season with Giants, Jaxson Dart was evaluated for a concussion four times (including the preseason). Notably, a Week 6 evaluation against the Philadelphia Eagles drew an NFL/NFLPA review after head coach Brian Daboll briefly poked his head into the medical tent during the exam.

Later in the season, Dart suffered a confirmed concussion during a Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears on November 9, 2025. That injury forced him into the multi-step concussion protocol and kept him sidelined for two games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions before he fully cleared the protocol prior to Week 13.

John Harbaugh’s first challenges

Under new head coach John Harbaugh, who was hired in January 2026, the New York Giants will play three preseason games to prepare for the upcoming campaign. Their exhibition slate kicks off on Saturday, August 15, hosting the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants then hit the road for their remaining two matchups, traveling to face the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, August 22, before closing out the preseason against their cross-town rivals, the New York Jets, at MetLife Stadium on Friday, August 28.