If the Chicago Bears lose assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to the 2026 NFL hiring cycle, his departure may not come with the expected silver lining.
Cunningham is considered a potential GM candidate for the Atlanta Falcons after the team officially hired former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan on Sunday, January 11, as their new president of football — a new role that comes with decision-making power.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, current Bears general manager Ryan Poles is also helping Ryan with the “entire hiring process” to fill out his Falcons front office, adding more fuel to the speculative fire that Ryan might tab Cunningham as his GM.
While Cunningham accepting a GM job elsewhere would normally result in the Bears receiving a third-round pick in each of the next two drafts as compensation, though, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Patrick Finley has reported that would not be the case.
“A league source says the #Bears would NOT get two compensatory third-round picks were Ian Cunningham to be named the #Falcons GM,” Finley wrote on January 10. “New President of Football Matt Ryan is considered the primary decision-maker there.”
Rules Indicate Ian Cunningham Won’t Return Comp Picks
Cunningham is a valuable part of the Bears’ front office as Poles’ right-hand man, but the promise of two third-round compensatory picks in the event he should ever leave has allowed fans to stomach the outside hiring interest he has received since 2023.
Unfortunately, Finley’s source seems to be right, based on the NFL rulebook.
According to 2020 Resolution JC-2A, “the employer-club of a minority employee who has been hired by another club as its Head Coach or Primary Football Executive (General Manager) shall receive Draft choice compensation in the form of a compensatory Draft pick in the third round in each of the next two Drafts for an employee hired as either a Head Coach or Primary Football Executive.”
The Falcons, however, may have found a loophole with their newly created position for Ryan as their president of football. If the Falcons designate him instead of their next general manager as the “primary football executive,” then it would appear that the Bears would not qualify for a compensatory return if Cunningham took the GM job.
Whether the NFL would enforce the rule as written or amend it to ensure that the Bears receive their compensatory picks is unclear, but it is not an ideal situation for Chicago.
Bears Would Benefit Greatly From More Draft Picks
The Bears might find themselves out of luck if the Falcons hire Cunningham as GM, which would be all the more frustrating considering that Poles helped the process.
The Bears are not low on draft picks for 2026. They have the Los Angeles Rams‘ pick instead of their own in the fourth round and no selections in the sixth round, but they have all of their others along with an extra pick in the seventh round. That said, an additional Day 2 selection would add value and flexibility in trades and the draft.
Of course, Cunningham is not a lock to leave for the Falcons’ GM job. He interviewed for their president of football job, but that interview was another sneaky move in which the Falcons brought in potential GM candidates and spoke with them under the guise of looking to fill another position — one that the team created for Ryan specifically.
If another candidate stands out, Cunningham could be left without another option. He has interviewed for GM jobs in past offseasons, but the Falcons are the only team — so far, at least — that has shown any hiring interest in him since the postseason began.
Bears Expected to Lose Out on 2 Draft Picks if Executive Poached