New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh pursued Tennessee Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons by contacting the team's controlling owner directly after standard channels yielded no progress, reports Jonathan Jones of The Athletic.
Multiple sources tell The Athletic the Giants head coach called Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly in an attempt to trade for the All-Pro defensive tackle, breaking with traditional NFL trade-talk norms.
The Giants have been looking to make a deal ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, knowing they will go into Week 9 atop the NFC East. General manager Joe Schoen had previously reached out to Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, who told Schoen and other inquiring teams that they wouldn’t trade Simmons.
Harbaugh then
opted to call Strunk, the Titans’ controlling owner, in an attempt to get Simmons. Harbaugh got the same message from Strunk, who has empowered Borgonzi to make football decisions for the franchise.
Simmons will instead make his Chicago Bears debut after a blockbuster trade, but the Giants' interest highlighted their urgency ahead of the deadline.
Harbaugh's decision to call Stunk was not received well by at least one other general manager.
One GM who became aware of the call said it violates a code amongst primary football decision-makers that they will only deal with each other.
The Titans had fielded interest in Simmons for the past two seasons without listening, and in June they signed him to a three-year extension worth $105.9 million that made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. After a 1-6 start, however, the organization decided to entertain offers.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who has known Borgonzi since their time together at Boston College and later with the Kansas City Chiefs, completed the deal. Chicago sent 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-rounder to Tennessee for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
The Giants' pursuit fits a broader pattern under Harbaugh, who reports directly to ownership rather than to Schoen. That structure has already shaped roster decisions this season, including the preseason release of receiver Darius Slayton and the trade for quarterback J.J. McCarthy after Jaxson Dart's injury.
New York lacks meaningful mid-round picks in the 2027 draft and continues to seek help at defensive tackle and running back. They are expected to remain active before the deadline, even after missing out on Simmons.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' John Harbaugh called Titans owner in attempt to land Jeffery Simmons
