Wherever John Harbaugh goes, QB injury concerns follow: From Lamar Jackson to Jaxson Dart

The head coach or offensive coordinator calls the play and relays it to the quarterback through a helmet radio. The communication system shuts off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds. From that point on, the quarterback must rely on his own judgment to execute the play.If he spots a defensive alignment that could disrupt the original call, he can change the play at the line of scrimmage. That’s what makes Russell Wilson’s Super Bowl XLIX interception so intriguing.Could he have audibled out of the pass that ended Seattle’s hopes of winning back-to-back Super Bowls? Perhaps. But he trusted the play call, and the rest is history.Now, here’s another question: Why do quarterbacks under John Harbaugh keep finding themselves in the injury conversation? Lamar Jackson dealt with injuries during his time with the Baltimore Ravens, and now Jaxson Dart has suffered a knee injury with the New York Giants.From Lamar Jackson to Jaxson Dart - John Harbaugh faces another quarterback injury scareThe New York Giants suffered a 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a suspected sprained MCL after taking a hard hit to his left knee from two defenders after throwing a third-and-8 pass. Rams linebackers Bryon Young and Josaiah Stewart sandwiched him.After the play, Dart stayed on the ground and grabbed his left leg. He received medical attention and walked to the blue medical tent for further evaluation. He then left the tent and limped to the locker room. Veteran quarterback Jameis Winston carried forward the Giants’ offense on their second drive.X-rays were negative. But the quarterback will get an MRI on Sept. 22. The head coach, John Harbaugh, said, “We’ll know more tomorrow. That’s in the neighborhood, I would say. We’ll get an MRI [Tuesday] and have a really good feel for it, and give you more information then.”ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports Dart is expected to miss some time. Will he sit out the season, or is the injury season-ending? “There’s no question. The fact that it’s not that outcome that you’re talking about - the devastating outcome - is really good news,” Harbaugh told reporters.John Harbaugh is aware of Lamar Jackson and Jaxson Dart’s dangerous playing stylesJaxson Dart got injured during a standard passing play in Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year quarterback missed two games in his rookie season after sustaining a Grade 1 concussion.Harbaugh said a few months earlier that Dart plays with reckless abandon. The coach stated then that the quarterback needs to protect himself better.“He’s aware of it,” Harbaugh said. “You got a fine line. I remember hearing the same thing about Lamar [Jackson], and the same things were said about Lamar really every year, but especially after the first season - ‘It’s unsustainable the way he plays. It’s never gonna last. You’ve got to protect him. He can’t run as much.’You say something like that to Lamar, and he kinda looks at you like you’ve got three heads. It’s like, ‘No, I’m gonna play ball. I’m gonna play ball.’I just knew; I trusted that he was gonna protect himself because he wants to be out there and he wants to play, and it’s not the type of sport where you [can] put yourself in bubble wrap. You’re gonna play ball, and you’re gonna get tackled, and things can happen out there.But playing the game in a way that respects that there are other guys out there that are capable of doing damage to you when you have the ball in your hands, especially for the quarterback, is important. I trust that Jaxson Dart understands that.”As for Lamar Jackson’s injuries under John Harbaugh’s reign? Jackson suffered major season-ending injuries: a 2021 ankle injury and a 2022 PCL sprain.Both Jackson and Dart are highly dynamic, dual-threat quarterbacks, but a string of QB injuries somehow seems to follow John Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens to the New York Giants…Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.