Athletic: John Harbaugh called about Jeffery Simmons

The Titans’ fourth-round pick is in 2027 and the fifth-round pick heading back to Chicago is in 2028. It’s a massive haul for a Titans team that is once again staring down the barrel of a lost season. Simmons has been the subject of trade rumors for a while, but an offseason extension quieted the murmurs this year. Tennessee inked him to a three-year, $106 million extension in June. Simmons has consistently been one of the league’s best interior pass-rushers. He racked up a career-high 11 sacks last year and already has four to his name in 2026. Though the Titans clearly wanted Simmons to be around for years to come, they couldn’t pass on the chance to hoard draft picks as they prepare for another rebuild. With Caleb Williams healthy and playing at an elite level, the Bears are going all in on this current window. They currently rank 14th in EPA per play allowed, a mark that will certainly improve in the coming weeks.

He went from a Wednesday DNP to a Friday full session and should see his normal allotment of snaps and havoc-causing against Houston’s beleaguered interior offensive line.

Robert Saleh has been liberal with rest days for veterans, so this could be nothing. It’s still notable that the centerpiece of his defense did not practice today. Simmons has two sacks on 12 pressures this year. The defense wasn’t necessarily good with him in the lineup, but it would be even more of a disappointment if he does miss time.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the contract makes Simmons, 28, the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history and includes $100 million guaranteed. Per PFF, Simmons led NFL defensive tackles with 12 sacks last season, while ranking in the top three in both quarterback pressures (64) and TFLs (12). His 43 solo tackles tied for sixth. Through seven NFL seasons, Simmons has appeared in four Pro Bowls, while earning two second-team All-Pro spots and one first-team All-Pro spot.

After coaching the Ravens for 18 years, it’s no surprise Harbaugh would try to get the band back together in New York. That could include C Tyler Linderbaum, who played under Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2022 to 2025. Linderbaum, 26, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and a potential upgrade for a Giants offensive line that struggled throughout 2025. Harbaugh could also pursue Patrick Ricard and Isaiah Likely in free agency. Harbaugh could also bring in coaches he had during his time in Baltimore.

“This wasn’t about Schoen; the coach definitely feels he can work with the GM. Harbaugh wanted the ability to impact the entire operation, from security to training to analytics to media relations to staff size to assistant salaries to relocation expenses to you name it. And yes, in the unlikely event there’s a stalemate on draft day between Harbaugh and Schoen, there’s no longer any question who will prevail,” O’Connor writes. Well then. Joe Schoen begins the Harbaugh Era as a convenient scapegoat the second it takes more than a year to get things going in the right direction. What could go wrong for him?

And... it’s done. After numerous delays amidst contract minutiae, the two sides have agreed on a five-year contract to make Harbaugh the team’s next head coach. The former Ravens head coach was one of the longest tenured head coaches in the league before being fired last week, quickly landing on his feet with one of the more desirable head coaching vacancies in the league. He’ll be tasked with turning around a franchise that has had little success in the post-Eli era.

Duggan reports that while Harbaugh coached the Ravens for 18 seasons, the 63-year-old head coach reported directly to owner Steve Biscotti and not the general manager. While that has not been the Giants’ chain of command historically, it appears Harbaugh prefers that same setup rather than reporting to Giants GM Joe Schoen. Harbaugh is the first major domino to fall in this offseason’s coaching carousel, which gives the Giants some options if this deal were to fall through, though that’s not seen as likely at this point. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the negotiations are heading in the right direction, according to a source, and the Giants hope to introduce Harbaugh at a press conference on Tuesday.

Over the last few hours, multiple reports have indicated that the two sides are still expected to come to an agreement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it “seems like something was lost in translation” during early negotiations, specifically regarding the “reporting structure” and decision-making powers. He adds that the Titans are still “interested and waiting” to find out what happens, while noting that former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski could be “the one” for the Giants if things fall through with Harbaugh.

Per Rapoport, the Giants will spend the morning hammering out the details, but Harbaugh has accepted the job. We should get confirmation on the deal later today. He will become one of the league’s highest-paid coaches once the ink is dry. Things have been moving in this direction for a while. Harbaugh visited the Giants’ facility yesterday, met with the New York brass, and even talked with Jaxson Dart in person. There were reports that he would meet with the Titans today, but those plans have likely been called off. The Giants have won more than eight games just twice in the past 13 seasons. Harbaugh, on the other hand, never won fewer than eight games during his 18-year run as the team’s head coach. He will bring an unmatched floor and cultural shift to the organization. The question now will be what kind of ceiling he can achieve. That was ultimately his issue at the end of his Baltimore days, and it will be the determining factor in whether or not his Giants tenure is a success.