Not all NFL rookie quarterbacks have the same virtues — and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan knows that very well.
That’s especially true when it comes to the New York Giants’ young signal-caller Jaxson Dart, who blends a sound balance between arm talent and mobility.
In conversation with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco for the latest edition of “49ers Game Plan” ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup with the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, Shanahan discussed the two methods to contain the 22-year-old quarterback.
“I think both of those are exactly right,” Shanahan told Maiocco. “Anybody who says there is one way to play a rookie quarterback, I believe it means they are wrong. Not every rookie quarterback is the same; you can’t just make this absolute decision that, ‘Hey, they can’t handle the blitz. Hey, they can’t make progressions in the pocket.’
“You have to study the quarterback and see what got him drafted, what got him this position. What does this guy like to play?”
Dart, who New York selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has excelled in his five starts after replacing veteran Russell Wilson.
Despite owning a 2-3 record as a starter, the rookie has completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 984 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
But his mobility and toughness have also come into play, amassing 43 carries for 195 yards and four touchdowns.
Dart, despite having only delivered a small sample size thus far, is proving he’s far from being a one-dimensional quarterback.
“In the NFL, over time, you have to be able to play every way,” Shanahan added. But usually when these guys get here, there’s a style of play that got them drafted and got them in this position.
“A lot of the time if it was a guy that just ran around and made plays and can’t do anything else, keep him in the pocket and make him go through a progression. Don’t let him out of there, don’t blitz him. See if he can make progressions. If it’s a guy who can do that and pick people apart, see if he can handle the pressure.”
Come Sunday, Shanahan expects the 49ers’ defense to be challenged by a well-rounded and unpredictable Dart.
“Now, we have a guy that we are playing this week that we’ve seen do both, so it’s not as simple as that,” Shanahan concluded. “But anyone who gives us an absolute answer to that, to me, usually means they are not evaluating the quarterbacks or are just saying, ‘Hey, we’re playing a rookie, let’s go with what someone said.’”
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