The Falcons have officially locked in the leadership trio that will define the next era of football in Atlanta.
After bringing in former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan as president of football operations and naming Kevin Stefanski the new head coach, the team has now hired Ian Cunningham as general manager, according to multiple reports. Cunningham, who had been serving as the assistant GM in Chicago, rounds out a front office designed to reset the Falcons' trajectory after years of postseason frustration.
Cunningham’s name had also been in the mix for the president role that ultimately went to Ryan, so his addition signals that Atlanta was zeroing in on him as a key piece of their rebuild regardless of title. His résumé speaks volumes: a well-respected executive with a strong scouting background, Cunningham spent the past two seasons with the Bears after a five-year stint in Philadelphia, where he played a part in building the Eagles’ Super Bowl team. Before that, he cut his teeth in Baltimore’s front office for nearly a decade - a franchise known for its consistency in talent evaluation.
Now, he steps into a GM role that may look a little different than the traditional setup. Reports earlier this month suggested that Ryan will serve as the primary decision-maker in football operations.
If that holds true, it would mean Cunningham won’t have final say on roster moves - a technicality that could impact the Bears’ eligibility for compensatory draft picks under the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which rewards teams for developing minority candidates who are hired into high-ranking roles elsewhere. It also opens the door to the possibility that Chicago could have blocked the move, since Cunningham may not be considered a "true" GM under league rules.
But Atlanta got their man. And now, the Falcons have a clearly defined three-man power structure: Ryan at the top, Cunningham managing personnel, and Stefanski running the show on the sidelines. It’s a new-look leadership team tasked with snapping a playoff drought that’s stretched back to 2017 - the year after the Falcons’ crushing Super Bowl LI loss to the Patriots.
In a twist of poetic symmetry, the man who once led Atlanta on the field is now leading the charge off of it. Matt Ryan, once the face of the franchise, is now the architect of its future. And with Cunningham and Stefanski alongside him, the Falcons are betting that this trio can finally bring sustained success back to Atlanta.