Bear Digest

Bears' Pursuit of Comp Picks Gets Boost from Ian Cunningham Himself

It wasn't just Bears GM Ryan Poles talking about how his team should get third-round picks as compensation but also the new Falcons GM did it, too.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ian Cunningham addresses reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Ian Cunningham addresses reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's not just the Bears who are telling the NFL they're fouling up the intent of the Rooney Rule if they fail to award two third-round draft picks for Ian Cunningham leaving his assistant GM job in Chicago to go to Atlanta as GM.

It's Cunningham himself.

Earlier in the offseason, it was widely reported the Bears would not get the compensatory picks the Rooney Rule calls for when a minority assistant GM becomes the GM elsewhere. The logic behind this was the Falcons had a personnel man higher than the GM, but there are real questions about whether this is actually true and the man they hired for that newly created position—president of football Matt Ryan—even said Cunningham calls the shots.

On Tuesday at the combine, Bears GM Ryan Poles said the team has been in contact with the league about getting those comp picks, but now they've got further assistance from the trigger of this entire situation, Cunningham himself.

"It was always my interpretation that if a general manager gets hired, a team would receive two third-round picks," Cunningham said. "I'm the general manager and I was hired. I would think that they (the Bears) would get two third-round picks.

"I don't know the wording of it. That's just my perspective. Again, I wouldn't be sitting here if it weren't for them giving me that (assistant) job, helping me grow to get this job right now."

Cunningham paid tribute to Poles, who was his good friend prior to the 2022 season when the two began working for the Bears, and lauded the way they built the Bears for the long haul and not a short amount of success.

"Really, just proud of the journey, man," Cunningham said. "I'm just proud of the journey and us (he and Poles) staying disciplined when we could've veered, we could have went in different ways, where we could have felt the pressure.

"I feel like we're all human beings, you're going to feel that. But for us, we know one another, stayed disciplined, protected each other in our decision. I'm really proud of us doing it the right way."

No doubt about Cunningham's role

If there was any doubt about Cunningham's role compared to what Ryan is doing, there shouldn't have been after Cunningham described Ryan's help in the offseason personnel hunt.

"There's similarities in and passion that we've recently picked up on and to be able to have a guy like that (Ryan), who's had a career in which he's had and to be able to pick his brain from a player's perspective, is invaluable," Cunningham said. "He's been extremely helpful thus far, and I'm looking forward to continuing to get to know him and continue to work with him."

Ryan is a guy they go to for a different perspective or some thoughts. He's not calling shots. Cunningham was the guy who made the call on Kirk Cousins being dispatched and even joked about the possibility Ryan would come back and play quarterback, much like Philip Rivers did last year.

"I don't think he's going to be coming back (to play)," Cunningham said. "So, that's one, that's a good thing, right? He's going to be involved in all of our processes.

"He's already involved with the process. We're able to pick his brain in draft meetings. In free agency and again, it's great to have somebody like Matt in that scene."

Ryan is a guy whose brain is picked and provides some insight. He is not the decision maker, and this is also what Ryan himself said.

The NFL can twist their Rooney Rule any way it wants, but they're defeating the intent of the law by not giving the Bears two draft picks. And in this case, the intent of the law is to discontinue racial discrimination in hiring coaches and executives.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.