Eagles Exec Leads Atlanta Falcons List For Terry Fontenot Replacement

Now that the Atlanta Falcons have officially parted ways with general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons and a combined record of 37-48, attention can now turn to future candidates for the position. According to the team, the search for the next generation of leadership of the Falcons has begun right away, and they confirmed that Sportsology Group will assist with the general manager role search.

General manager roles do not come open very often, and the team is going to be judicious in its approach following several major structural changes to the organization. The first major hurdle will be hiring a new president of football, and many have speculated that this could be the role for former MVP-winning quarterback Matt Ryan. That news should be coming over the next few days.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

Attention would then turn to hiring a new general manager and head coach. A hot board for the coaching position can be found here, but who could the general manager be? This list is sure to be a lot shorter, but see below for a few of the hot names that could emerge during this cycle.

Falcons General Manager Candidates for 2026:

IAN CUNNINGHAM, CHICAGO BEARS ASSISTANT GM

Ian Cunningham is instantly one of the intriguing candidates for the Falcons, having worked with the Ravens’ Ozzie Newsome (2008-2016) and the Eagles’ Howie Roseman (2017-2021) during his career. He helped win a Super Bowl with both franchises.

He cut his teeth as a scout before becoming the assistant general manager for the Bears in 2022, but he has touched nearly every aspect of front operations in the time since.

In 2020, he was included on a list of The Athletic’s ‘40 under 40,’ for those considered to be rising stars in the NFL. By 2025, he had played a central role in the turnaround of the Bears and their run to the playoffs.

ALEC HALABY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ASSISTANT GM

Alec Halaby is currently with Howie Roseman in Philadelphia, and the pair could be considered pretty similar. They work in lock step, and Halaby is considered to be one of Roseman’s close confidants. Teams will be looking to emulate the success of the reigning Super Bowl champions, and going after Halaby could be step one.

Halaby has a similar makeup to Roseman, and he has a primarily analytical background. He has been with the Eagles since 2007 after graduating from Harvard, where he worked his way up to assistant general manager in 2022 after spending six seasons as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy. During his tenure with the Eagles, Halaby has focused on player evaluation, roster management, and resource allocation with a modern approach that could be worth looking into.

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

JON-ERIC SULLIVAN, GREEN BAY PACKERS VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Jon-Eric Sullivan was reportedly a finalist for the Tennessee Titans job last year, meaning he will certainly be getting a call this cycle. He is the son of longtime NFL receivers coach Jerry Sullivan and is known for his ability to marry player evaluation with specific systems. Sullivan played a central role in bringing in Matt LeFleur in 2019 and drafting Jordan Love in 2020, so he has experience in making important decisions.

TERRANCE GRAY, BUFFALO BILLS ASSISTANT GM

Terrance Gray cut his teeth in the college scouting side of the job, in Minnesota before moving to Buffalo to work with Brandon Beane. Since coming to the Bills, Gray has had a seat at the table for several important decisions in all areas of roster-building. Gray has been involved in several cycles of the last few years, having interviewed for roles with the Raiders, Chargers, Titans, and Jaguars, so he will likely get a call from the Falcons.

ED DODDS, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ASSISTANT GM

Similar to many on this list, Ed Dodds worked the college scouting trail and spent a large portion of his career in player evaluation. He worked closely with John Schneider to build the Seahawks’ Super Bowl roster in the 2010s before moving to Indianapolis to work with Chris Ballard. Dodds has been with the Colts for the last nine years, and like many, has been a finalist for several roles over the last few seasons. He is considered to bring an old-school approach to the role.

TARIQ AHMAD, SAN FRANCISCO 49ers VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Tariq Ahmad started in the college ranks as a recruiting staffer with Rutgers, but joined the staff in San Francisco in the Jim Harbaugh era. He has since worked his way up to the VP of Player Personnel and is considered a rising star, but he is still on the younger side of this cycle. Ahmad could get some interviews, but could still be a few years away from landing a gig.

RYAN COWDEN, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

After spending some years with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, Ryan Cowden followed the former Titans coach to the Patriots (with two seasons with the Giants in between). Cowden is seen as a shrewd evaluator of talent, and he played a central role in the instant turnaround in New England. He helped lead the charge with personnel changes around Drake Maye.

MIKE GREENBERG, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS ASSISTANT GM

Mike Greenberg is a slightly different type of decision maker than many on this list. He has a background with salary cap management, but has since taken over in a more personnel-focused role after John Spytek left for Las Vegas. Greenberg played a key role in the Buccaneers’ ability to navigate the team building around Tom Brady and the growth around Baker Mayfield in the years since.