Former New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has made a living as a dual-threat signal caller, knows a thing or two about when to take a hit while running and when to call it a day.
Taylor, speaking to Brian Costello of the New York Post, said that it takes time to learn when to give yourself up as a runner and when to go for the gusto, adding that it is something that will come with time and that Dart’s ability as a runner does not necessarily need to be put on ice until the rookie learns the difference.
“You never want to take away what makes a guy special,” Taylor told Costello.
“My advice to him would be to be smart about (the hits). Over the course of a season, over the course of a career, those add up.”
Former New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor, now with the New York Jets, says it takes time to develop that extra sense of when to give yourself up as a runner. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Taylor, who entered the NFL in 2011, has rushed 434 times over his career, whether designed runs or scrambles. During his two seasons with the Giants (2022-23), he ran 43 times.
He suffered a rib cage injury in 2023 when he was sacked midway through the second quarter against the Jets, his current team, when he tried to avoid pressure in the pocket. That injury landed Taylor on IR.
He knows that once he leaves the safety of the pocket, he is fair game for a defender to come at him and that to live to see the next play, sometimes one has to run up the white flag, even if it means they’ll be a yard or two short of pay-day.
“Your best ability is availability, so you want to be out there for the guys and making plays,” he said.
“By all means, do what feels natural, but understand the toll that it takes when you continue to keep taking those hits.”
Last week against the Patriots, Dart rushed four times, none of which were on designed runs. Still, he took a big hit from Patriots defender Christian Elliss on a rushing attempt that took him along the sideline, Dart trying to get the first down yardage before he went out of bounds.
After the game, Dart, as he’s done since taking on the starting quarterback role for the Giants, defended his decision to go for the first down.
“This is football. I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket,” he said. “I feel like I’ve played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you’ve followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit. Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
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