Social Media Reacts to the Atlanta Falcons Hiring Ian Cunningham as GM

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons have officially announced that Ian Cunningham will take over as their next general manager. The former assistant general manager of the Chicago Bears is set to take over duties right away and will be introduced to the media next Tuesday (Feb 3rd).

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“It was evident through our rigorous interview process that Ian was the right choice for our general manager position,’ wrote Matt Ryan in an official statement. “His vision for our team and organization aligned exactly with the type of leader we were seeking to help take the Falcons to the next level. Throughout Ian’s career, including Super Bowl championships in Baltimore and Philadelphia, Ian has demonstrated the drive and focus it takes to build championship contenders and put them in the position to win games. We love his broad and deep experience across every aspect of talent evaluation and know he’s learned from some of the best in the league. Pairing him with Coach Stefanski is exciting for us, and we can’t wait to see them bring our shared vision to life in everything we do, starting right now.”

Cunningham spent the better part of 14 years with Howie Roseman in Philadelphia and Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, winning a pair of Super Bowls in that time. He has since played a central role with the new-look team Bears team that won the NFC North for only the second time in the last 15 years.

The hire has largely been celebrated in Atlanta, but it was also met with some frustration from Chicago after it was revealed that the Bears would not get compensatory picks for the hire. Naturally, social media had plenty to say about the team’s decision to hire Cunningham. See below for some oft those reactions.

Gotta love a GM that has put his hand in the Dirt. Phisicallity is a mindset. #earnit #letsgetit https://t.co/YOn7dDSCmR
— Todd Mcclure (@ToddMcclure62) January 30, 2026

According to @TomPelissero, the #Falcons are set to hire Ian Cunningham as their next general manager.https://t.co/vH3ViQ59jR
— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) January 30, 2026

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I really like the GM hire by the @AtlantaFalcons. Ian Cunningham has reps with the teams that are always in the mix Eagles, Ravens and now Bears.
— MikeBell929 (@MikeBellATL) January 30, 2026

The Falcons named Ian Cunningham their new GM. He comes from the Bears, where he was assistant GM. @JoePatrick says this could signal a more analytical approach and willingness to trade down to accrue picks in team building. pic.twitter.com/ZYml1WUS5p
— 92.9 The Game (@929TheGame) January 30, 2026

President of Football hired.
GM hired.
Coach hired.
Let’s work.@AtlantaFalcons
— Carl Dukes (@putemupcdukes) January 30, 2026

Ian Cunningham in what he looks for in a player

pic.twitter.com/U35WJgNDLt
— Da ✘ski ✞ (@Damski32) January 30, 2026

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ahhhh so he helped evaluate a Super Bowl MVP in Philadelphia we in good hands https://t.co/lL88d2Fxw3
— AVY3N🧹 (@avy3n) January 30, 2026

The relationship between Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham is unique in the scouting world. Neither had worked in the same building at any point throughout their careers before Chicago with Poles having spent his entire career in Kansas City and Cunningham coming up through Baltimore…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 30, 2026

One of the most encouraging—but least talked about—aspects of the Falcons hires is that there is no power struggle.

Kevin Stefanski doesn’t care about full control. He kept Jeff Ulbrich on and other coaches he’d never worked with.

Ian Cunningham, even as GM, doesn’t have final…
— Rise Up Ryan (@RiseUpReader) January 30, 2026

Falcons have made their hire official with this statement from Ian Cunningham

“It’s truly an honor to be the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons and I couldn’t be more thankful to Arthur Blank, Matt Ryan, Greg Beadles, Josh Blank and the entire search committee for believing… https://t.co/Ky1fY7FGi3
— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) January 30, 2026

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The #Falcons are hiring Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham as their general manager. Cunningham was taking in the Senior Bowl with Ryan Poles this week. pic.twitter.com/JevDqpDm7q
— Jarvis Davis (@JarvisD90) January 30, 2026

From a Cavalier to the GM of the @AtlantaFalcons - Congratulations to Ian Cunningham‼️ https://t.co/EvywVtulOE pic.twitter.com/4bt27b4ANh
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) January 30, 2026

We're all set. Now lets get to work 📈🔴⚫️ https://t.co/yjqFMvisLT
— ATL Falcons UK 🇬🇧 (@ATLFalconsUK) January 30, 2026

Bears fans after the Ian Cunningham news pic.twitter.com/5XTQYdn9WH
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) January 30, 2026

Some material on Ian Cunningham:@TheAthleticNFL news story with @DMRussini reporting he will be the new Falcons GM https://t.co/X6yTk28o3J

And his extensive thoughts on culture and team-building via “The Playcallers” series: https://t.co/zXP3mOIhbo pic.twitter.com/oXy2MJYUVt
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 30, 2026

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While researching Ian Cunningham I ran across an old newspaper story from Dec. 2007, days before the final game of his college career.

It was that article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that proclaimed a goal that is now a reality for the new GM in ATL. https://t.co/LR2ZaJJRuY
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) January 30, 2026

Multiple things can be true at once:

Minority candidates moving up the ladder in the NFL matters more than compensatory picks.

Bears were right not to block Ian Cunningham from moving on if thats what he wants.

The NFL should honor the structure they put in place.

3rd round…
— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) January 30, 2026