Ian Cunningham Outlines the Vision for Atlanta Falcons' New Era

ATLANTA – Ian Cunningham took the stage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday for the very first time, and it was a homecoming of sorts for the new general manager of the Atlanta Falcons.

As a child, Cunningham lived in Roswell, just outside the city limits. His father was a vice president of marketing for the 1996 Olympics in the city, and those experiences are still felt to this day.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

“I literally got my first pair of dress shoes at Friedman’s Shoes downtown,” Cunningham said. “My family has bricks in Centennial Park.”

He reminisced about the Falcons teams of that era, citing Chris Chandler, Bob Whitefield, and the godfather of the Dirty Bird, Jamal Anderson. He joked that he still struggles with the dance, but he remembers the energy that the team brought to the city.

“It was on fire during the mid 90s with the Olympics and the Braves,” he said with a smile. “Those are core memories that I hope that I can be a small part of bringing back to the city.”

And the new regime that is working to do that for the Falcons is now complete.

The new regime of the Atlanta Falcons pic.twitter.com/HhhWykoeBs
— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) February 3, 2026

Cunningham sat alongside the president of football, Matt Ryan, while the new head coach, Kevin Stefanski, watched from the sidelines. The respective roles of these individuals will be different, but the message from all of them has been clear: they want to be a physical football team.

Stefanski and Ryan mentioned being tough or physical 10 separate times when the new head coach spoke to the media last week. Phrases like that were uttered five more times on Tuesday.

“Smart, tough, physical,” Cunningham echoed just seven days after his new coach. “We're going to build through the trenches. If you look at all those teams, that's the philosophy: draft, develop, and retain.”

Unsurprising commentary from a former offensive lineman and two guys from Philadelphia.

The question now becomes how close this team is to realizing the shared vision that these three new faces bring to Flowery Branch. Cunningham made the point several times that the team has talent, but that there is room to improve. That was evident last season, when they beat the Rams and Bills, before also losing to the Jets and Dolphins.

The Falcons felt like they were close. Despite an eight-year playoff drought, they were a game away from winning the NFC South in both 2024 and 2025. They were often in the mix before that – but close is not good enough, and that is exactly why the organization was reset.

“The cupboard isn't bare,” he said. “We have talented players here, and I'm looking forward to being a part of adding talent to this roster to help Kevin and our staff consistently compete for championships.”

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!

Attention now turns to the pending free agents, with just a few weeks until the NFL Combine on February 23rd and the start of the new league year on March 11th. Kirk Cousins has a contract that needs to be addressed. What will the Falcons do about Kyle Pitts Sr., Dee Alford, and Kaden Elliss?

The decisions over the next month and a half will be the first real evidence of how this regime’s philosophy translates into action.

The leadership question has now been answered, but now comes the important next step. Four offseason press conferences later, their vision is firmly in place. Now there is nothing left to do but execute.