Bears lose assistant general manager Cunningham to Falcons

Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham will become the new general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons made the hire official Thursday night.

Cunningham had originally interviewed for the Falcons’ president of football role, but Atlanta ultimately hired Matt Ryan. Atlanta brought back Cunningham for an interview this week for the general manager spot before making the final decision Thursday.

Cunningham joined the Bears in 2022 when general manager Ryan Poles took over. The two had worked closely together ever since and put together their best draft class this year, highlighted by rookie tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III, left tackle Ozzy Trapilo and running back Kyle Monangai. It helped the Bears return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, win their first NFC North title since 2018 and win their first playoff game in 15 years.

Chicago will reportedly not receive draft compensation for Cunningham’s hiring. Normally an NFL program will reward a team two third-round compensatory draft picks when a minority candidate leaves for a general manger job. Since Ryan will be the decision-maker for the Falcons, the NFL will likely not reward the Bears.

Cunningham earned the job after interviewing for numerous general manager jobs over the past few offseasons. Poles and Ryan had a strong relationship with each other after their time at Boston College together.