-
Courtney Cronin
INDIANAPOLIS — The Chicago Bears believe they should receive draft compensation after the Atlanta Falcons hired Ian Cunningham as general manager last month and are disputing the matter with the NFL.
In 2020, NFL owners approved a proposal that rewards teams compensatory third-round picks in consecutive drafts for developing minority front office and coaching talent that are then hired by other teams as head coaches and general managers.
Cunningham, who is Black, was the assistant general manager in Chicago from 2022 to 2025. He was hired by the Falcons as their general manager on Jan. 29, but because Matt Ryan — Atlanta’s president of football — is considered the team’s primary football executive, the Bears are not in line to receive draft compensation after his departure.
«I kind of put that whole thing into two buckets,» Bears general manager Ryan Poles said. «One, I’m really proud that Ian has this opportunity to be a general manager. It’s something we’ve talked about for a long time, before we were even employed by the Bears. It was our vision to climb through the ranks, to get a seat, the GM seat and then help the other one get to their position as well. So I’m really happy for him.
«How we do that and why we do that has nothing to do with compensation whatsoever. I want to make that very clear. There’s a set of rules that has been put in place that I think can be applied to this situation. So we have communicated through the right channels. We’ll see what happens going forward.»
Cunningham also believes the Bears should receive draft compensation with his departure.
«It was always my interpretation that if a general manager gets hired, that team would receive two third-round picks,» Cunningham said. «I’m the general manager. I was hired. I would think that they would get two third-round picks.
«That’s just my perspective. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it weren’t for them giving me that job and helping me grow to get this job.»
Poles said the Bears are «waiting on an answer» from the league office on whether Chicago will receive third-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 drafts. Compensatory picks are typically announced before the new league year in March.
«It will be up to the league and how they see it,» Poles said.
While Poles believes the Bears are due compensation based on league bylaws, the sentiment of the rule has never sat right with the 39-year-old general manager.
«I mean I’ll be honest,» Poles said of his view on the rule. «I think it is a little strange. At the end of the day, you should want to develop your staff regardless of the color of their skin. I think that is important. I think we take a lot of pride with the Bears in our setup and I take a lot of pride in that. So to be compensated for that is a little strange. I saw the Chiefs get a pick because of me and then I watched that player go and play. It’s just a little odd. But if at the end of the day, they think that’s what is best to help incentivize, then that’s what they want to do. But at the end of the day, like I said, that’s not the purpose of why we develop our staff. But if that is the rule they have in place, I think it’s very clear in the situation what should happen. We’ll see what they think.»
