Before Jeffery Simmons was traded to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, New York Giants coach John Harbaugh tried to bring the defensive tackle to his team by contacting Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly, according to a report from The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones. The approach came after an earlier inquiry by Giants general manager Joe Schoen failed to produce a deal.
Jones reported that Schoen had spoken with Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi about Simmons and was told Tennessee would not trade him. Other interested teams received the same response. Harbaugh then took the request to Strunk in an effort to move New York ahead of the other teams pursuing the defensive tackle, but she also said Simmons would not be traded.
The contact between Harbaugh and Strunk bypassed the usual discussions among the executives responsible for football decisions. An unnamed general manager told Jones that the call “violates a code amongst primary football decision-makers, that they will only deal with each other.” Harbaugh’s attempt did not change the answer New York received from Tennessee.
The Titans ultimately agreed to send Simmons to Chicago in a deal built around two first-round draft selections. Tennessee received the Bears’ first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a fourth-round selection in 2027. Chicago acquired Simmons and a fifth-round pick in 2028. That package persuaded the Titans to make a trade after they had told interested teams Simmons was unavailable.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles reportedly had been interested in Simmons since the 2019 NFL Draft. At that time, Poles and Borgonzi were both working for the Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago’s successful bid ended the pursuit with Simmons heading to the Bears rather than joining Harbaugh’s defense in New York.
Harbaugh’s outreach also came within a Giants management structure in which he answers directly to ownership rather than to Schoen. New York is seeking additions while leading the NFC East with a 4-2-1 record. The Giants are pursuing what would be their first playoff appearance since 2022.
New York has already traded for J.J. McCarthy and recently installed him as its starting quarterback while Jaxson Dart is injured. The team is expected to keep exploring additions before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, with defensive line and running back among the positions commonly linked to the Giants.
