Pair of former Giants rip Dave Gettleman after loss to Bears: ‘Atrocious’
The lengthy list of former NFL players with contempt for Giants general manager Dave Gettleman grew by two Sunday after a loss to the Bears.
Scott Simonson, who grew up as a Giants fan at the Jersey Shore, spent five seasons on Gettleman-constructed rosters. He played for the Panthers from 2015-17 before he was one of about a dozen former players brought along by Gettleman to the Giants from his first GM job in Carolina. Simonson spent two seasons as the Giants’ third-string tight end before he was cut in February 2020.
“Dave Gettleman is an atrocious GM and not a good person [in my opinion],” Simonson wrote on Twitter after a 29-3 loss that dropped the Giants record under Gettleman to 19-45. “The fact he’s had this much time to not be good at his job, while deciding others’ fates, and indebting one of the most historically respected franchises is embarrassing, and also a strong example of karma existing.”
Fullback Shane Smith, who played 13 games for the 2017-18 Giants, was cut just nine months and two games into Gettleman’s tenure. He replied to Simonson’s takedown with, “couldn’t agree more.”
It’s clear that both Simonson and Smith — neither of whom played another NFL game, though Smith was with the Saints during training camp in 2019 — could harbor sour grapes for the business decisions ending their careers. The Post’s attempts to reach both players for further comment were not immediately successful.
Simonson later clarified on Twitter that his “opinion is from being misled about the severity of an ankle” injury, claiming that he was “not given details” before he was released on the “settlement of a basic injury and finding out later on they knew the extent of it. All things [Gettleman] played a role in.” He added, “I don’t think it was intentional.”
But it is noteworthy because they are just the latest who have attacked Gettleman’s character over the years, including former Giants safety Landon Collins and some of the biggest stars in Panthers history like Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams and Josh Norman.