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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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The New York Giants entered their bye week in first place in the NFC East, and head coach John Harbaugh clearly wasn’t content standing pat.
However, his latest attempt at upgrading his roster may have ruffled some feathers around the league.
Harbaugh called Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly in an attempt to trade for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons before he was shipped to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones.
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That call reportedly came after Giants general manager Joe Schoen had already been told by Titans GM Mike Borgonzi that Simmons wasn’t available. Strunk, who gave Borgonzi full control to make the football decisions, gave Harbaugh the same answer.
In taking drastic action, Harbaugh may have rubbed some people the wrong way.
“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,” Jones wrote.
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Another source in a key football position told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that Harbaugh’s actions were “shameful.”
Florio also added that the Giants were willing to offer more than what Chicago sent to the 1-6 Titans, though he also admitted that’s an easy claim to make after the fact.
It should be noted though that Harbaugh reports to Giants ownership, not Schoen. So, he technically wasn’t going over anyone’s head in his own building. Calling another team’s owner is a different story.
The Giants traded three-time Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick in April, leaving a hole in the middle of the defensive line.
Simmons would’ve been a perfect Lawrence replacement, however, the Bears landed the 29-year-old All-Pro plus a 2028 fifth-round pick for 2027 and 2028 first-rounders and a 2027 fourth-rounder.
The Giants reportedly will remain buyers ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but it might behoove Harbaugh to let Schoen handle the calls.
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