Matt Ryan's confirmation of Ian Cunningham's full control proves the NFL unjustly denied the Bears crucial draft compensation. This revelation fuels fan frustration.
The Ian Cunningham saga got a new wrinkle recently.
Cunningham was formerly the Assistant General Manager of the Chicago Bears. He interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons twice for different executive positions. He first interviewed for the organization's President of Football position, then for the General Manager position.
The President of Football job was awarded to former quarterback Matt Ryan, and Cunningham was named the franchise's next GM. Typically, in this situation, a team is awarded draft picks under the NFL's Rooney Rule.
However, since the NFL considers Ryan the primary football executive, the Bears weren't able to get extra draft picks for 2026 and 2027.
Fans were clearly frustrated with the NFL's decision, and it wasn't the first time something like that had happened. In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers had Vice President of Player Personnel Martin Mayhew get hired by the Washington Commanders as their next GM.
However, Mayhew reported to the head coach, Ron Rivera. The NFL still decided to give San Francisco draft picks even though it was a very similar situation to what the Bears went through with Cunningham.
A recent interview with Ryan is going to have fans fuming. Ryan shared that Cunningham will be in charge of the Falcons' free agency and draft picks in April.
"Man, Ian's in charge. Ian's in charge of that space. I'm looking forward to learning about this. I said it the other day in Ian's presser. I've never sat in a draft meeting, so Monday's the first time I'm gonna sit in a draft meeting, and I've got a lot to learn. So, sitting, observing, being a fly on the wall. If there's something Ian has a question about or something I can help with, I'm all ears and happy to share my opinion. Ian is driving this boat, and he is the one that's leading us moving forward."
This just further proves that the Bears should've been awarded those draft picks. Having extra third-round picks for the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts could make a huge difference.
We saw just how vital it is to have multiple draft picks in the same round in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears took Luther Burden and Ozzy Trapilo in the second round, and both had starting roles this past season.
Knowing that the Bears should've been given draft picks for the Cunningham hire is going to sting.