Harbaugh Called Titans Owner About Simmons Before Bears Trade

New York Giants coach John Harbaugh called Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk to pursue defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons after Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi had told Giants general manager Joe Schoen that Simmons was not available. Strunk gave Harbaugh the same answer, according to reporting attributed to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones. The Giants did not acquire Simmons. Tennessee traded him to the Chicago Bears on October 29, sending Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Chicago for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The call came as New York sought help on the defensive line after trading Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick in the 2026 draft. Reports said the Giants were interested in Simmons before the trade deadline, but did not establish what offer, if any, New York made or how it compared with Chicago’s package. One general manager, whose reaction was relayed in the reporting, said contacting another team’s owner rather than dealing through its general manager breached an unwritten understanding among football decision-makers. That was the executive’s assessment, not a formal league rule. Harbaugh...