The Chicago Bears took a big step forward this season, snapping a 15-year playoff win drought and giving fans a glimpse of what the future might hold. Under new head coach Ben Johnson and with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams already showing flashes of elite-level play, the Bears look like a team on the rise. But as success often does, it’s come with a cost - and this week, that cost came in the form of a front office departure.
On Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons announced they’ve hired Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to be their new GM. Cunningham had been with Chicago for four seasons, arriving in 2022 alongside GM Ryan Poles. In that time, he played a key role in reshaping the Bears’ roster and helping build the foundation that led to this season’s playoff breakthrough.
This move is a significant promotion for Cunningham, but it won’t come with any draft compensation for Chicago - and that’s where things get a little more complicated.
Normally, when a team loses a minority executive to a GM or head coaching position elsewhere, the NFL awards two third-round compensatory picks to the former team. It’s part of a league-wide initiative, introduced in 2020, designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity in leadership roles. Cunningham, now the second Black general manager in Falcons history after Terry Fontenot, would typically qualify under that policy.
But there’s a catch.
The Falcons recently restructured their front office. After parting ways with head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot at the end of the regular season, owner Arthur Blank created a new role: president of football.
That position now sits atop the organizational chart, and it’s been filled by none other than former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Under this new structure, both the head coach and general manager report to Ryan, not directly to ownership.
And because Ryan is now considered the lead football executive in Atlanta, Cunningham’s hiring doesn’t meet the criteria for compensatory picks. The league only awards those picks when a minority candidate is hired into the top football decision-making role. Since that title now belongs to Ryan, the Bears are left empty-handed.
It’s a tough break for Chicago, especially considering Cunningham’s impact during his time in the building. But it also underscores how the NFL’s evolving front office structures can influence more than just internal power dynamics - they can affect draft capital, too.
As it stands, the Bears will head into the 2026 NFL Draft with seven selections. They hold their original picks in the first, second, third, fifth, and seventh rounds.
They also own a fourth-rounder from the Rams and an additional seventh-rounder from the Browns. It’s a solid haul, and with Ryan Poles still steering the ship, the front office remains in capable hands.
Still, losing a key executive like Cunningham - without the benefit of compensatory picks - is a reminder that success in the NFL isn’t just about building a winning roster. It’s about keeping that roster - and the team behind it - together. And as the Bears continue their climb, they'll have to do it with one less architect in the room.