The Chicago Bears have attained a level of success this season that may even be a surprise to them, but the cost of those accomplishments is inevitable and will soon become clear.
Winning in the NFL breeds interest from other organizations, not just in a franchise’s philosophies or processes, but in its personnel — from the locker room up to the coaching staff and into the front office.
Chicago, for instance, poached head coach Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions last January following three tremendously productive years as that team’s offensive coordinator. This offseason, the Bears might have to watch some other organization pick the pocket of their front office in the form of a job offer to assistant general manager Ian Cunningham.
Bears Assistant GM Ian Cunningham Has Impressive NFL Resumé
GettyGeneral manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports on Saturday, January 3 laid out Cunningham’s compelling case to run a franchise of his own.
“[Cunningham] played football at Virginia and had a cup of coffee with the [Kansas City] Chiefs before turning to the personnel side of things,” Jones wrote. “He grew up under Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore where he won one Super Bowl, then hopped to Philadelphia under Howie Roseman where he won another ring. And since 2022, he has been at the right hand of Ryan Poles rebuilding the Chicago Bears into [a] potential Super Bowl contender.”
Cunningham passed on an offer to run the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2023 campaign. He has also attained “finalist” status for GM positions with the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars since, according to Jones.
“[Cunningham has] seen old- and new-school approaches to scouting and team building. He’s been instrumental introducing new technologies and processes in Chicago,” Jones continued. “Cunningham has played, scouted colleges and pros, been part of a major draft trade, evaluated a No. 1 quarterback, been part of a head-coaching search, won Super Bowls and led turnarounds.”
Bears Face Lions in Week 18 With No. 2 Seed in NFC Playoffs on the Line
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams (left) and head coach Ben Johnson (right) of the Chicago Bears.
But before Cunningham goes anywhere, assuming he does in the upcoming hiring cycle, he will get a chance to see how the fruits of his labors play out in Chicago’s first trip to the postseason since the 2020-21 campaign when the team snuck into the playoffs with an 8-8 record.
The Bears (11-5) have already captured the NFC North Division and host the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Week 18 with a chance to lock up the No. 2 seed in the conference. Chicago will earn that position regardless of the outcome of its game should the Philadelphia Eagles fall to the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, January 4.
If the Bears win and/or the Eagles lose, Chicago will host the Green Bay Packers in Round 1 of the playoffs next weekend. The Bears would also host a second-round game with a victory over Green Bay.
Should Chicago lose and Philadelphia win, the Bears will host either the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams during Super Wildcard Weekend. Whether Chicago would earn a second home playoff contest would depend on the Eagles’ fate against the Packers in the opening round.
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