NFL Head Coach Disrespects Titans GM and Breaks Unwritten Role

As we all know, the Tennessee Titans traded away Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears ahead of Week 8. 

The Titans got a first-round pick in 2027 and 2028, as well as a 2027 fourth-round pick in return. Tennessee sent Simmons and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Chicago. 

In the first game without Simmons, the Titans' defense still put together a solid pass rush. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked three times, all by Jacob Martin. 

The Titans also pressured him into throwing three interceptions to Amani Hooker. 

Unfortunately, the Titans still weren't able to win, despite the defense forcing four turnovers. The Titans fell 43-36 in overtime to the Bengals and are now 1-7. 

The Titans are in their bye week, as they get an extra week to prepare for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans are going to need it, given how well the Jaguars have played this year. They lead the AFC South at 6-2. 

It's been mostly a quiet bye week for the Titans, as expected. No major news has come out, and the team hasn't traded any more of its players. 

That was until new information came out about the Simmons trade. The Athletic's Jonathan Jones wrote a column about the latest happenings around the NFL. 

He revealed that New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh called Titans Owner Amy Adams-Strunk directly to talk about a trade for Simmons. Giants General Manager Joe Schoen called Titans GM Mike Borgonzi to ask about Simmons' availability. 

Borgonzi said that Simmons was off the table. 

Instead, Borgonzi made a trade with his former Kansas City Chiefs coworker Ryan Poles, who is the Bears GM, and dealt Simmons to the Windy City. 

One anonymous NFL GM shared with Jones that they believed what Harbaugh did violated an unwritten rule. They were put off by how Harbaugh went straight to an NFL owner instead of talking to Borgonzi directly about a trade for Simmons. 

Like the Bears, the Giants are in a good position to make the postseason. So, it's only natural that they call struggling teams like the Titans about their players ahead of a playoff run. 

No matter whether you think Harbaugh broke an unwritten rule or not, the Titans still opted not to trade Simmons to the Giants. Instead, Borgonzi made a deal with his friend and former coworker to send Simmons to the Bears. 

It's definitely rare to see an NFL head coach talk to the owner of a team and not the actual GM. Borgonzi had made it very clear that the Titans were not listening to offers for Simmons, at least until Poles made him an offer he couldn't refuse. 

At the end of the day, it's clear that going over the chain of command is frowned upon in the NFL.