John Harbaugh’s call to Titans owner in Jeffery Simmons pursuit crossed a line, and losing out was a blessing in disguise for the Giants

According to reporting from The Athletic, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh directly called Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk in an attempt to trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The move came after Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi had already rebuffed inquiries from Giants GM Joe Schoen. Strunk reportedly gave Harbaugh the same refusal, emphasizing that Borgonzi controls football decisions before Tennessee ultimately traded Simmons to the Chicago Bears for multiple high draft picks.

Writer Easton Freeze argues that Harbaugh crossed an unwritten NFL line by bypassing front-office protocol after his general manager had already been turned down. Freeze also contends that missing out on Simmons is a blessing in disguise for the Giants, asserting that surrendering significant future draft capital would have been reckless given the team's ongoing uncertainty at the quarterback position.