Ian Cunningham is finally getting his shot. After years of being one of the most respected assistant general managers in the NFL, the longtime right-hand man to Ryan Poles is heading to Atlanta to take over as the Falcons’ new general manager. The move comes as part of a front office overhaul led by newly appointed president of football operations Matt Ryan, and it marks a significant moment not just for Cunningham, but for the Bears as well.
Let’s start with what this means for Chicago. Cunningham exits with the Bears in arguably their best position in years.
They just clinched their first division title in seven seasons, they’ve got their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, and Ben Johnson looks every bit the part of a head coach who can lead this team deep into January. Cunningham played a key role in helping build that foundation - from draft evaluations to free agency strategy - and his fingerprints are all over the current roster.
Now, the question is whether the Bears will be rewarded for developing a front office executive who landed a GM job elsewhere. Normally, under the NFL’s compensatory pick system, teams receive a pair of third-round picks when a minority candidate is hired away for a head coach or GM role.
But there’s a wrinkle here. Because Matt Ryan holds the top football decision-making title in Atlanta, Cunningham’s move might not qualify as a true promotion in the league’s eyes.
That could mean no compensatory picks for Chicago, unless the team challenges that interpretation - something worth keeping an eye on, especially considering Ryan has publicly stated Cunningham will have roster control.
On the home front, the Bears now have a key front office seat to fill. And all signs point to Jeff King as the likely successor.
King, who currently serves as the senior director of player personnel, has steadily climbed the ranks and earned trust within the building. Poles has leaned on him in recent years, and his reputation around the league continues to grow.
Promoting King to assistant GM would be a logical, seamless move - one that maintains continuity in a front office that’s been hitting more than it’s missed lately.
But even if King slides into Cunningham’s former role, the Bears still lose one of their sharpest talent evaluators. That opens the door for Poles to potentially add another voice to the personnel department.
Whether that means promoting from within or bringing in a fresh set of eyes from outside the organization remains to be seen. There’s a deep pool of experienced personnel minds available, and Poles’ connections around the league could help him land someone who fits the Bears’ vision moving forward.
For now, though, the headline belongs to Cunningham. He’s earned this opportunity.
His rise has been steady and well-deserved, and now he gets to put his stamp on a franchise of his own. The Falcons are getting a sharp football mind - one who helped build a division-winning roster in Chicago and now steps into a pivotal role in Atlanta’s next chapter.