November 28, 2025 • 10 mins
Quarterback Jaxson Dart speaks to the media Friday from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I just want to open something real quick. Obviously there's
been a lot that's happened since I've been up here,
and you know, I just want to acknowledge, you know,
Coach Daves and you know all that he did for me.
You know, I just want to look back on everything.
You know, it's it's it's really special to come to
a place where a coach you know, genuinely cares about
(00:22):
you and loves you and you have that you know,
personal relationship on and off the field. So you know,
I just have all the respect in the world for him.
I think he's an incredibly he's an incredible offensive mind.
You know, you just have an amazing job developing up
until this point. And uh you know that this this
(00:43):
business is a beast man. And you know, give a
shout to coach Shane as well. You know, unfortunately we
just weren't able to get enough wins for them. But
at the same time, you've got a lot of respect
for them and Coach Daves. You know, I don't you know,
who knows if I'm if I'm here so without him,
so you know, I got all the respect and love
(01:03):
for him. So with that will open up questions.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
What was that like for you just having to experience
that and obviously the protocol.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah it's hard, the protocol no, no, nonother.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Protocol, but you were in protocol when it's happened and
having been injured.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And yeah, it sucked. Like I said, you know, I
have a lot of love for Coach Dabs and you
know we're really close, so to kind of see it
go down that way, especially my rookie year, was hard.
So you know, just trying to control that. I can control,
you know, take the next steps, but you know, just
(01:40):
you I wish we could have could have done more
as players to get more wins.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
One, as you said, a lot has happened the last
time we spoke to you. Can you take us back
to the Bears game and just what happened from you know,
the play, You get hurt, then you come back in
the game, just like what happened there from your perspective.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Uh, obviously, I just you know, wasn't feeling too great.
I thought, you know, honestly, our medical staff did a
really good job because now I wasn't in a good
space to be out there. And obviously that game just
sucked because you know, we had control caught on stuff.
Feel like they could not stop me, They couldn't stop
(02:20):
us as a team. So you know that that one
hurt for sure, and uh, you know you wish plays
like that, you know wouldn't happen and you can finish
the finish the game with your team.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Looked like when you hit the ground, you didn't even
move for the ball.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I didn't. I didn't feel like I was unconscious, just
didn't feel the same.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
You learned anything from that whole experience? I mean, I
know you obviously guys want to play right and but
you learn Is there anything you take from that and
say maybe next time I gotta do things a little
different or I.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Mean I don't regret. I mean, the only thing about
that play is the ball got knocked out of my hands.
And when you're kind of lose control of the ball,
you're not really thinking about bracing for the ground. You know,
when I watched the whole game, and it's kind of
been a point of emphasis, you know, going to each
game of you know, just being smart with the hits
that I take. And when I look back at the game,
like there's not a hit where I'm like daying, I
shouldn't have taken that hit. To be honest, like, you know,
(03:16):
I felt like I was making smart decisions. I didn't
take really any unnecessary hits, and it was just a
situation where you know, you kind of lose control of
your body when you fumble it and you're not really
bracing for the ground. But obviously, you know, I'm moving forward,
I got to be more available for the for the team.
So you know, that's obviously on the forefront of my
mind going forward.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Of the lesson you're taking from it all that, Like, hey,
you know Jamis said of availability is the best ability?
Is that sort of how you're applying it moving forward?
Speaker 5 (03:46):
No, yeah, absolutely, Jackson.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
You know you're not doctor, but by hearing what you're saying,
it sounded like you feel like you got hurt by
hitting the ground the way your head hit the ground.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (03:58):
In terms of getting ready to play and not trying
to put everything in the pass, but walking out here
on the practice field, know, when you have a chance
to not play, what what's your mindset? What's your mind
frame in terms of you know, getting out there on
Monday night.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, man, I'm ready.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I've been waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
You know, obviously these primetime games, the ones that you
have circled on the calendar. So I'm excited to go
out there, go compete at a high level and do everything,
you know, my power to rally these guys to put
our team in the best situation. You know, when the
clock kids, you know that, you know we're gonna come
out with the win.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
What happened from your perspective last week, Jackson, Because like
it seemed like Wednesday Kafka said, if everything goes well,
you're gonna play, and then it seemed like, you know,
you took a lot of the first team reps and
then you didn't play.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You know, that's that's a hard question because you know,
just for me, you know, I'm I feel like I
can go, and I feel like I could go the
week before too. But obviously there's there's protocols, and there's
different tests that you have to pass, and you know,
our medical our medical two. You know, it's a really
good job making sure that, you know, we meet all
(05:03):
those requirements to be out there on the field. But
it's been hard, man, Like I can't stand sitting on
the sideline watching, but you know, I just you know,
credit to those guys you know maybe in the moment
I wasn't the happiest, but you know they're they're overlooking
our health and our safety.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
You mentioned being patient. I guess how you mentioned how
difficult that is, but just take us through that. How
difficult is it just to kind of have to be
like you can't play when you want to, even though
you have that drive, Like I feel ready, But how
is that like for you to be patient, have to
wait and wait until they clear you.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's hard. I feel like every day goes by slower
and you're just you're hoping and praying that you know
you're gonna go in and and pass your your test
to make it so, I think I a bit more
nails off my fingers and I have in a long
time being on the sideline watching. But yeah, it's definitely
not fun too to feel like you have, you know,
(05:55):
no control over the outcome of the game, but you
just try to be the best team that you can.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
The first concussion diagnosed with it's been here. Have you
had any in the past, college, high school? No?
Speaker 8 (06:08):
When it comes to the situation now, I mean, Dave
All is gone, but Kafet is still here. What are
you expecting it to be kind of or has it
been the two weeks similar to you.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
Know, everything that you got used to with Dabel.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, I mean, you know, Cav's been in the system
for you know, a few years now, so he understands
it obviously, like the back of his hand. And maybe
there's a few little, you know, tweaks that you have
from just like preference as a as a coach may feel.
But you know, I mean, you know, I have all
the confidence in the world in Calf and thought he's
just done a great job. This is really this whole year.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
How's that relationship then? Obviously you and Dable were closed
from CAF are closed, but just kind of how has
that relationship been close and how has it been getting
closer these last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, obviously these last two weeks, it's just more and
more communication Now. I think k Calf is one of
the best coordinators in the NFL. You can look at that,
you know, from a player perspective as well as you know,
statistically a number wise, I think he does a great job.
So you know, as an offense as as a team,
we have a ton of confidence in him. He's going
to put us in the right situations to succeed.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Obviously, in that last game, you said you were getting
down and you thought you didn't think any of the
hits were ones that you you know, were your fault,
like you shouldn't have taken there. But do you look
at it as a whole after seeing the totality of
all four concussion checks in an eight game Stritch, you
have to change anything with the way you play at all.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah, well, the narrative is not necessarily accurate of four
concussion checks. You know, I was taken into the tent
for you know, three of those times for you know,
things had nothing to do with my head, and you
know that's just kind of you know, they have their
own operation of you know, kind of how they handle things.
So you know, I'm still getting used to this game.
(07:58):
I'm getting used to the speed of you know, at
this level. In college. You can watch my tape. I
you know, I very rarely slid, you know, but this
is a different beast. So you know, for me, I
got to be obviously a little bit more responsible, you know,
when I'm in the open field. But I felt like,
you know, quite on sales, getting better at it each
and every week.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Really other thing Yeah, what were those other things you
were checked for if not concussion because we were told
you had cleared protocol. What do you mean we get
an alert. I'm pretty sure some of those we were
told we we went through concussion protocol. Just on the sidelines,
we get an alert like in the media area.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, I mean they have you know, one time I'm
just tired against the Chargers. The other one has, you know,
other things I have nothing to do with my head.
So you know, they have their own formula of how
they handle those things. But you know, the narrative of
me having four concussion checks because of something that happened
in my head is not true.
Speaker 6 (08:52):
Jackson. Last one, you were in the locker room last week,
and the scene becomes multo familiar for you guys when
you're around you're not you know, you're talking to some
of your guys where you weren't in the game.
Speaker 7 (09:05):
What is that like.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
And how does that affect you as a competitor to
go through what this team has gone through, especially the
last six weeks, but really all whole season.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Yeah, the season so far has been tough because you know,
our record could completely be flipped the other way and
everybody here is in a completely different state of mind.
And but you know, I've just come to realize that,
you know, in the NFL, if you don't make those
crunch time you know, moment plays, then another team does,
you're going to lose. And it doesn't really matter how
(09:36):
well you play up until the end of the game.
So at times, it honestly is it doesn't even feel
real because you know, you feel like you're in control
of the entire game, and somehow things just don't work.
That's just you know, the beauty of the sport is
it could go one way, it could go the other way.
And when you're playing at this level of competition, especially
(09:56):
for me, I've come to realize that, you know, it
doesn't matter, you know, how you play it all until
you know who scores last, who has the ball last,
and who makes that you know, last crucial play at
the end of the game.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
How many times has your head been about have you
been evaluated for a concussion? Then?
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Mm hmmm, I don't know, it's a good question.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Feel good though,
I just want to open something real quick. Obviously there's
been a lot that's happened since I've been up here,
and you know, I just want to acknowledge, you know,
Coach Daves and you know all that he did for me.
You know, I just want to look back on everything.
You know, it's it's it's really special to come to
a place where a coach you know, genuinely cares about
(00:22):
you and loves you and you have that you know,
personal relationship on and off the field. So you know,
I just have all the respect in the world for him.
I think he's an incredibly he's an incredible offensive mind.
You know, you just have an amazing job developing up
until this point. And uh you know that this this
(00:43):
business is a beast man. And you know, give a
shout to coach Shane as well. You know, unfortunately we
just weren't able to get enough wins for them. But
at the same time, you've got a lot of respect
for them and Coach Daves. You know, I don't you know,
who knows if I'm if I'm here so without him,
so you know, I got all the respect and love
(01:03):
for him. So with that will open up questions.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
What was that like for you just having to experience
that and obviously the protocol.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah it's hard, the protocol no, no, nonother.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Protocol, but you were in protocol when it's happened and
having been injured.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And yeah, it sucked. Like I said, you know, I
have a lot of love for Coach Dabs and you
know we're really close, so to kind of see it
go down that way, especially my rookie year, was hard.
So you know, just trying to control that. I can control,
you know, take the next steps, but you know, just
(01:40):
you I wish we could have could have done more
as players to get more wins.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
One, as you said, a lot has happened the last
time we spoke to you. Can you take us back
to the Bears game and just what happened from you know,
the play, You get hurt, then you come back in
the game, just like what happened there from your perspective.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Uh, obviously, I just you know, wasn't feeling too great.
I thought, you know, honestly, our medical staff did a
really good job because now I wasn't in a good
space to be out there. And obviously that game just
sucked because you know, we had control caught on stuff.
Feel like they could not stop me, They couldn't stop
(02:20):
us as a team. So you know that that one
hurt for sure, and uh, you know you wish plays
like that, you know wouldn't happen and you can finish
the finish the game with your team.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Looked like when you hit the ground, you didn't even
move for the ball.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I didn't. I didn't feel like I was unconscious, just
didn't feel the same.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
You learned anything from that whole experience? I mean, I
know you obviously guys want to play right and but
you learn Is there anything you take from that and
say maybe next time I gotta do things a little
different or I.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Mean I don't regret. I mean, the only thing about
that play is the ball got knocked out of my hands.
And when you're kind of lose control of the ball,
you're not really thinking about bracing for the ground. You know,
when I watched the whole game, and it's kind of
been a point of emphasis, you know, going to each
game of you know, just being smart with the hits
that I take. And when I look back at the game,
like there's not a hit where I'm like daying, I
shouldn't have taken that hit. To be honest, like, you know,
(03:16):
I felt like I was making smart decisions. I didn't
take really any unnecessary hits, and it was just a
situation where you know, you kind of lose control of
your body when you fumble it and you're not really
bracing for the ground. But obviously, you know, I'm moving forward,
I got to be more available for the for the team.
So you know, that's obviously on the forefront of my
mind going forward.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Of the lesson you're taking from it all that, Like, hey,
you know Jamis said of availability is the best ability?
Is that sort of how you're applying it moving forward?
Speaker 5 (03:46):
No, yeah, absolutely, Jackson.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
You know you're not doctor, but by hearing what you're saying,
it sounded like you feel like you got hurt by
hitting the ground the way your head hit the ground.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (03:58):
In terms of getting ready to play and not trying
to put everything in the pass, but walking out here
on the practice field, know, when you have a chance
to not play, what what's your mindset? What's your mind
frame in terms of you know, getting out there on
Monday night.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, man, I'm ready.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I've been waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
You know, obviously these primetime games, the ones that you
have circled on the calendar. So I'm excited to go
out there, go compete at a high level and do everything,
you know, my power to rally these guys to put
our team in the best situation. You know, when the
clock kids, you know that, you know we're gonna come
out with the win.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
What happened from your perspective last week, Jackson, Because like
it seemed like Wednesday Kafka said, if everything goes well,
you're gonna play, and then it seemed like, you know,
you took a lot of the first team reps and
then you didn't play.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You know, that's that's a hard question because you know,
just for me, you know, I'm I feel like I
can go, and I feel like I could go the
week before too. But obviously there's there's protocols, and there's
different tests that you have to pass, and you know,
our medical our medical two. You know, it's a really
good job making sure that, you know, we meet all
(05:03):
those requirements to be out there on the field. But
it's been hard, man, Like I can't stand sitting on
the sideline watching, but you know, I just you know,
credit to those guys you know maybe in the moment
I wasn't the happiest, but you know they're they're overlooking
our health and our safety.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
You mentioned being patient. I guess how you mentioned how
difficult that is, but just take us through that. How
difficult is it just to kind of have to be
like you can't play when you want to, even though
you have that drive, Like I feel ready, But how
is that like for you to be patient, have to
wait and wait until they clear you.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's hard. I feel like every day goes by slower
and you're just you're hoping and praying that you know
you're gonna go in and and pass your your test
to make it so, I think I a bit more
nails off my fingers and I have in a long
time being on the sideline watching. But yeah, it's definitely
not fun too to feel like you have, you know,
(05:55):
no control over the outcome of the game, but you
just try to be the best team that you can.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
The first concussion diagnosed with it's been here. Have you
had any in the past, college, high school? No?
Speaker 8 (06:08):
When it comes to the situation now, I mean, Dave
All is gone, but Kafet is still here. What are
you expecting it to be kind of or has it
been the two weeks similar to you.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
Know, everything that you got used to with Dabel.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, I mean, you know, Cav's been in the system
for you know, a few years now, so he understands
it obviously, like the back of his hand. And maybe
there's a few little, you know, tweaks that you have
from just like preference as a as a coach may feel.
But you know, I mean, you know, I have all
the confidence in the world in Calf and thought he's
just done a great job. This is really this whole year.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
How's that relationship then? Obviously you and Dable were closed
from CAF are closed, but just kind of how has
that relationship been close and how has it been getting
closer these last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, obviously these last two weeks, it's just more and
more communication Now. I think k Calf is one of
the best coordinators in the NFL. You can look at that,
you know, from a player perspective as well as you know,
statistically a number wise, I think he does a great job.
So you know, as an offense as as a team,
we have a ton of confidence in him. He's going
to put us in the right situations to succeed.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Obviously, in that last game, you said you were getting
down and you thought you didn't think any of the
hits were ones that you you know, were your fault,
like you shouldn't have taken there. But do you look
at it as a whole after seeing the totality of
all four concussion checks in an eight game Stritch, you
have to change anything with the way you play at all.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah, well, the narrative is not necessarily accurate of four
concussion checks. You know, I was taken into the tent
for you know, three of those times for you know,
things had nothing to do with my head, and you
know that's just kind of you know, they have their
own operation of you know, kind of how they handle things.
So you know, I'm still getting used to this game.
(07:58):
I'm getting used to the speed of you know, at
this level. In college. You can watch my tape. I
you know, I very rarely slid, you know, but this
is a different beast. So you know, for me, I
got to be obviously a little bit more responsible, you know,
when I'm in the open field. But I felt like,
you know, quite on sales, getting better at it each
and every week.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Really other thing Yeah, what were those other things you
were checked for if not concussion because we were told
you had cleared protocol. What do you mean we get
an alert. I'm pretty sure some of those we were
told we we went through concussion protocol. Just on the sidelines,
we get an alert like in the media area.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, I mean they have you know, one time I'm
just tired against the Chargers. The other one has, you know,
other things I have nothing to do with my head.
So you know, they have their own formula of how
they handle those things. But you know, the narrative of
me having four concussion checks because of something that happened
in my head is not true.
Speaker 6 (08:52):
Jackson. Last one, you were in the locker room last week,
and the scene becomes multo familiar for you guys when
you're around you're not you know, you're talking to some
of your guys where you weren't in the game.
Speaker 7 (09:05):
What is that like.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
And how does that affect you as a competitor to
go through what this team has gone through, especially the
last six weeks, but really all whole season.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Yeah, the season so far has been tough because you know,
our record could completely be flipped the other way and
everybody here is in a completely different state of mind.
And but you know, I've just come to realize that,
you know, in the NFL, if you don't make those
crunch time you know, moment plays, then another team does,
you're going to lose. And it doesn't really matter how
(09:36):
well you play up until the end of the game.
So at times, it honestly is it doesn't even feel
real because you know, you feel like you're in control
of the entire game, and somehow things just don't work.
That's just you know, the beauty of the sport is
it could go one way, it could go the other way.
And when you're playing at this level of competition, especially
(09:56):
for me, I've come to realize that, you know, it
doesn't matter, you know, how you play it all until
you know who scores last, who has the ball last,
and who makes that you know, last crucial play at
the end of the game.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
How many times has your head been about have you
been evaluated for a concussion? Then?
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Mm hmmm, I don't know, it's a good question.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Feel good though,
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