Report says Bears extend contract of assistant GM Cunningham
The Bears are keeping Ryan Poles’ right-hand man on board. The organization has reportedly signed assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to a contract extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news of the deal Wednesday morning. It’s unclear how long the new contract lasts.
Cunningham has interviewed for general manager positions during each of the past two hiring cycles and was reportedly a finalist for the Washington Commanders job in January. A new contract won’t keep Cunningham from landing a general manager position elsewhere in the future, but it does reaffirm the Bears’ commitment to him and Poles’ team.
The news comes just a day after Poles heaped praise on his assistant general manager during a pre-draft news conference at Halas Hall. With Poles and Cunningham both meeting with members of the media, Poles pointed toward Cunningham next to him and said he was “blessed out of my socks” to have Cunningham by his side.
“When you reflect back to the first two years getting this thing off the ground, to have a guy like him,” Poles said. “[He’s] not a yes man. [He] keeps me in line when I start getting off track, to keep our staff together when I get pulled in different directions. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for Ian as well being there and being an unbelievable partner.”
One of the first things Poles did when he was hired as general manager in 2022 was to hire Cunningham as his top lieutenant. The two had never worked together but had grown close during scouting cycles as they were working their way up in the NFL.
Cunningham worked within the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office for five years before joining the Bears. He helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LII and he helped build the Eagles team that reached another Super Bowl the year after Cunningham left.
Cunningham, a former college offensive lineman just like Poles, has been integral in evaluating college talent during the Bears rebuild over the past two years. He has also been a sounding board for Poles throughout the past two years.