New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh recently made a move that felt ripped straight from a wild football movie script: he called Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly. His mission? To snag All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons for his team.
The Bold Play That Didn’t Pay Off (But Got Everyone Talking)
Listen, this wasn’t some casual chat. Jonathan Jones at The Athletic reported that Harbaugh’s direct call was an “unusual move,” an “atypical maneuver” in the NFL’s world of big-time player acquisitions. And, spoiler alert, it didn’t work. Turns out, this dramatic play for Simmons was all for naught, as the three-time All-Pro was ultimately dealt to the Chicago Bears just days later on Thursday.
The Bears gave up a serious haul for the 29-year-old Simmons: a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Titans sent Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Chicago. Think about that for a second: Simmons is the first defensive tackle since the common draft era kicked off in 1967 to be traded for multiple first-round picks. That’s a massive move for an interior lineman! The Titans, sitting at a rough 1-6, only decided to entertain offers for Simmons on Tuesday, which tells you how quickly things can change in this league.
Breaking the Code and Forging New Deals
Here’s where it gets even more interesting. Before Harbaugh picked up the phone for his direct line to Strunk, Giants general manager Joe Schoen had already reached out to Titans GM Mike Borgonzi. Schoen, like other GMs who came calling, was reportedly told Tennessee wasn’t moving Simmons. Even Bears GM Ryan Poles admitted he’d always gotten a “no” when he probed about a Simmons trade. Poles was pretty candid, saying he “honestly didn’t think it would ever happen.” So when that window finally opened, he said, “It happened pretty fast. It was a late call and happened in the early morning.”
Harbaugh’s call to the owner came *after* Schoen’s failed attempt with Borgonzi. And it didn’t change the outcome, obviously. One GM, aware of Harbaugh’s direct line to Strunk, reportedly felt it “violates a code amongst primary football decision-makers, that they will only deal with each other.” Oof. That’s a pretty strong statement about unwritten rules in the league. It’s an important distinction that Harbaugh, as a veteran head coach, reports directly to ownership, not Schoen, which isn’t uncommon. But still, the optics of the direct call definitely raised some eyebrows around the league.
Ultimately, the long-standing relationship between Bears GM Ryan Poles and Titans GM Mike Borgonzi played a big part in the deal going down. They go way back, from Boston College to their time together with the Kansas City Chiefs. That history, along with the timing of the Titans deciding to move Simmons, really factored into why the Bears ended up with the star DT. So, while Harbaugh went for the Hail Mary pass to the owner, it was the established GM-to-GM relationship that ultimately closed the deal.
What’s next for the Giants? They’re reportedly still looking to be buyers as the trade deadline approaches. Harbaugh’s bold, if unconventional, attempt for Simmons might not have worked, but it sure announced that New York is ready to make some noise. Will their next target be acquired with a more traditional GM-to-GM handshake, or will Harbaugh pull another surprising move out of his playbook? We’re all gonna be watching closely.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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