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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The NFL initiated a review on the application of the concussion protocol used on quarterback Jaxson Dart during the second half of the New York Giants' 34-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. The league announced on Friday the review will be conducted jointly with the NFL Players Association under the parties' collective bargaining agreement. Coach Brian Daboll and the Giants could face discipline depending on the findings, a league source told ESPN. Dart grabbed at his head on the ground after taking a hit on a third-quarter sack. He was taken to the blue medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion. Daboll approached the tent and poked in his head. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo also went into the tent. Daboll was later seen talking in an animated fashion to the team physician, Dr. Scott Rodeo, on the sideline while awaiting word on whether Dart would be cleared and return to the game. The coach said he wanted to find out "if he was OK" and decide whether to call timeout and potentially go for it on fourth down, if he was available. Daboll said after the game he apologized to the team's doctor. Dart was eventually cleared and returned to the contest, but missed the final two plays of that drive. Daboll said Dart was in the Giants' team facility on Friday, but didn't yet know how he was feeling. Players who undergo concussion tests during games are required to take another exam the following day. Daboll also said he hadn't specifically heard from the league yet. "Yeah, I haven't, but I'll say this, like I said last night, I went in, didn't actually go in, just stuck my head in to see how our quarterback was doing. Just Asked him how you're doing," Daboll said during a Zoom call on Friday afternoon. "In no way would I want a player to come back out there that wasn't ready to play. I think I have great respect for that process. "I know [owner] John [Mara] is on the competition committee relative to health and safety. That's very important to him. We've spoke about that. I was wondering if it took 10 minutes, if it takes an hour, if it takes two minutes. That's really where I was with asking the question that I asked when I was on the sideline to make a decision on the game," Daboll said. "But health and safety is important to us. It's important to me, and that's what I'll say with that." In a statement released Friday afternoon, Mara acknowledged his conversation with Daboll and vowed to "cooperate fully" with the review. "I spoke to Coach Daboll this morning about approaching the medical tent last night. While I firmly believe, as he has stated, that he was not trying to influence the process in any way, he understands that the appearance of going to the tent is inappropriate," Mara said. "We have protocols in place as a league to ensure player safety, and we need to allow our medical staff to execute those protocols without interference. "We understand that the situation is under review by the NFL and NFLPA, and obviously we will cooperate fully." The league's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, told reporters attending a pregame tour of MetLife Stadium medical facilities that there were specific rules about who could be in the tent during a concussion evaluation -- namely, the player, a team physician, an independent specialist and potentially a team athletic trainer. "Never more than those people," Sills said. "Never any coaches in here, never any other players in here, never anybody else in here." Daboll was asked on Friday if he knew of any rules about coaches not being allowed in the medical tent. "Yeah, I'm not going to get into that. I do have respect for the process, but it was more I peeked in for a couple seconds to see how a player that's important to us, important to me, how he was doing. It was a two-second question, 'How you doing bud?'" Daboll said. "And then relative to the questions I had for our team physician was more how long is it going to be and however long it's going to be is how long it's going to be relative to making a game-time decision. So that's important. Health and safety is important. I know it's important to [owner] John Mara and we'll abide by all those rules." It's the third time in four games, dating back to the preseason, that Dart has been evaluated for a concussion. He said after Friday's win he is tired of the interruptions. "It felt so long," Dart said. "A few guys popped in. I was just trying to get back there on the field. I understand they have protocol and whatnot. I was just trying to get out there fast." Skattebo joked he was "making sure that Jaxson wasn't hurting anybody in the injury tent." "I knew going over there I needed to calm down a little bit because I knew he was going to be on fire," Skattebo said. "When I was in there, he was a little fired up, but we know we have to go through protocol and do all that stuff to make sure we can get back on the field. I went in there and kind of, 'We're good, man, we've got you,' and that's it."
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