John Harbaugh sounds increasingly open to adding fresh talent before the 2026 NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, but his best-laid plans could be undone if the New York Giants don’t heed a warning about losing “trust” with potential trade partners around the league.
The note of caution is sounded by “NFL Blue Book” Substack writer and All-Pro voter Charles Robinson. He pointed out how the Giants and Harbaugh “have now exposed *two* failed behind-the-curtain trade pursuits inside 1 week, between their Simmons and Taylor efforts. Whether fans like it or not (or reporters), this is the kind of thing that turns future trade partners off. Expose failed deals, lose trade trust.”
It’s a valid concern after it became public the Giants took a two-draft pick trade package for Indianapolis Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor off the table. This news was on the heels of Harbaugh freely admitting to going around Tennessee Titans’ general manager Mike Borgonzi to try and swing a deal for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
The way the Giants approached a potential deal for Simmons, by going directly to owner Amy Adams Strunk, raised the concerns about trust Robinson cited.
Those concerns could prove damaging on a day when Harbaugh remains blunt about adding to his playoff-chasing team. He’s still searching for reinforcements at two key spots.
John Harbaugh’s Risking ‘Trust’ With Brazen Trade Strategy
The reason the Giants couldn’t land Simmons ahead of the Chicago Bears “really came down to trust,” according to Robinson. He noted how “the Titans were trying to keep talks regarding Simmons as quiet as possible.”
Robinson doesn’t “think the Titans trusted the Giants to keep the talks private. I think Tennessee believed that any unsuccessful talks with the Giants would have been leaked. And frankly, given what has unfolded since the trade went down, I think the Titans were right.”
Keeping things private so those involved in a trade can save face, even when talks go nowhere, creates goodwill between teams. Especially when talks go nowhere.
The Giants have been reckless with this goodwill twice, but Harbaugh isn’t wavering in his direct approach. Instead, the Super Bowl-winning former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens remains committed to not waiting to improve the Giants’ roster.
Harbaugh told reporters on Monday, November 9, “The now weighs more important than the future, if you’re gonna put it on a scale. And you go from there,” per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, who concluded, “Yeah. The Giants will be adding a player, or players.”
Yeah. The Giants will be adding a player, or players
Those players are already known after Harbaugh’s assessment of the obvious weak spots on this Giants team.
Giants Have Obvious Needs to Fix Before Deadline
Harbaugh would like a marquee lead running back, but that might be wishful thinking. His more realistic option involves beefing up the interior of the defensive line.
The Giants are wisely pivoting in this direction. What they’re seeing is a trade market brimming with sturdy and capable defensive tackles.
That market includes a dominant and bargain run-stuffer who’d help veteran nose guard D.J. Reader’s efforts to fix a longstanding weakness. There’s also the possibility of the Giants adding an experienced and popular Super Bowl champion to the heart of their evolving defensive front.
Both of these would-be deals appear easier to engineer than any move for help in the backfield. Even trying to add a supporting runner has proved difficult for Harbaugh, but recruiting a new D-tackle should be more straightforward.
The only thing that could scupper the plan is if the Giants have lost more trust than they expected after their public pursuits of Simmons and Taylor.
John Harbaugh, Giants Given ‘Trust’ Warning About Trade Plans