It’s official: The Chicago Bears will not receive any compensatory draft picks after losing former assistant general manager Ian Cunningham this offseason, the NFL announced Friday. The Atlanta Falcons hired Cunningham as their new general manager, and the Bears believe that, as a result, they should receive bonus draft picks under JC-2A resolution.
Under the policy, passed in 2020 to help promote diversity in the league, teams that develop minority personnel into head coaches and general managers of other teams will be compensated with third-round draft picks.
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However, according to the NFL, Cunningham does not meet the criteria for his current position with the Falcons, who are entering a new leadership structure this year.
“Following an appeal by the club, the matter is now closed,” the league said, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“The NFL informed the Bears today that they will not receive compensatory draft picks. This policy is intended to provide draft picks for major football executive positions. The League determined that Mr. Cunningham did not hold that position with the Falcons as required by league rules.”
While Cunningham is the Falcons’ general manager and is fulfilling the team’s general manager duties, he technically sits under Matt Ryan in the team’s front office.
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Ryan, Atlanta’s quarterback from 2008-21, was named the team’s president of football in January. Falcons owner Arthur Blank penned a letter to fans following the firings of former general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris. In it, he explained that he would hire a president of football who would “set the vision and identity for our franchise.”
Ryan got the job, returning to a team where the one-time NFL MVP quarterback led the team to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season and a total of six playoff appearances. He helped lead the head coaching and general manager searches that resulted in the hirings of Kevin Stefanski and Cunningham, respectively.
Cunningham spent four seasons under Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Boles.
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With Cunningham gone, the Bears hope to acquire a third-round compensatory pick in this year’s draft and another compensatory pick in the 2027 draft.
This is the compensation they believe they are entitled to under Resolution JC-2A. But because the NFL was considering Ryan, the Falcons’ primary football executive, instead of Cunningham, the Bears were unable to reap the benefits of the policy.
