For a few brief, optimistic hours, it looked like the Chicago Bears might be walking away from Ian Cunningham’s long-awaited promotion with a small consolation prize, as he had landed a general manager job with the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears, who have spent years helping build his repertoire, appeared to benefit under the NFL’s Rooney Rule compensatory draft pick policy.
And then the fine print showed up. Despite Cunningham’s new title in Atlanta, the Bears will not receive the two third-round compensatory picks many expected because of hierarchy and one man standing just above Cunningham on the Falcons’ organizational chart.
Why the Bears Aren’t Getting Compensatory Picks
The NFL’s 2020 Resolution JC-2A was crafted with intention. It rewards teams for developing minority coaches or executives who go on to be hired as head coaches or primary football executives. The incentive is a third-round compensatory pick at the end of the round in each of the next two drafts.
Lose both a qualifying head coach and a qualifying executive? The reward can stretch across three consecutive years.
Cunningham, at first glance, seemed like a textbook case. He’s a minority executive. He spent four full seasons with the Bears. He was hired to be a general manager, the very title the rule references.
But the league doesn’t measure authority by business cards.
In Atlanta, the role of primary football executive belongs to Matt Ryan, who returned to the franchise as president of football operations. Ryan holds final say over football decisions, including oversight of the coaching staff and roster construction. Cunningham, though highly influential and clearly trusted, operates behind him.
READ MORE: Top 100 2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings
That single structural detail is the difference between Chicago gaining two valuable draft assets and gaining none at all.
Had Cunningham been hired into a setup where no one sat above him on the football side, the Bears would have received a third-round compensatory pick in each of the next two drafts. Instead, the rule’s requirements fall just short.
Meanwhile, after an 8-9 finish, Atlanta moved on from head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, choosing to start over almost entirely.
Kevin Stefanski was hired as head coach on Jan. 17. Matt Ryan was hired on Jan. 10, returning to the organization not as former franchise quarterback, but as the executive voice guiding its future. Cunningham became the final piece of that leadership trio.
According to NFL.com, the Falcons interviewed at least six candidates for the GM opening, but Cunningham remained the favorite throughout the process.
