I was a year early with this discussion but Jeff Howe at The Athletic revived it this morning.
If Cunningham is hired the Bears will receive third round picks in ‘25 and ‘26. They would have nine picks in ‘25 including a first, two seconds, and two thirds.
Here are excerpts from his article:
“LAKE FOREST, Ill. —
Ian Cunningham is on the cusp of achieving a lifelong goal.
The
Chicago Bears assistant general manager has been viewed as a rising executive among his peers around the
NFL, and he’s got the receipts to show for it. Cunningham has interviewed in recent years for general manager vacancies with the
Arizona Cardinals,
Tennessee Titansand
Los Angeles Chargers.
Now if the
Bears’ season plays out the way many expect — an offseason acquisition spree
has generated as much hype as ever in Chicago — Cunningham will again be on the shortlist for teams with GM openings in January.
“It feels great in the sense of this is what I’ve worked for my entire life and career,” Cunningham told
The Athletic. “Knowing what I’ve wanted to do since I was in middle school, high school and setting that goal for myself. … Realizing I’m on the cusp of that, I’m extremely fortunate to have the interviews in which I’ve had and the opportunities in which I’ve had. I just view it as just keep chopping, and it’ll happen in the right time.”
GO DEEPER
Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham is a rising star in the NFL
Cunningham’s peers’ eyes light up when his name is mentioned, whether it’s someone he’s worked alongside or against. Executive circles are tight, so it’s paramount to build trust, and it’s clear Cunningham has established that.
He’s also cut his teeth with two of the NFL’s premier front offices, first breaking into the business from 2008-16 in personnel and scouting roles with the
Baltimore Ravens and then from 2017-21 in director roles with the
Philadelphia Eagles. Cunningham joined general manager
Ryan Poles with the Bears in 2022.
Poles and Cunningham took over a reeling franchise in 2022. The Bears had just hired head coach
Matt Eberflus to replace Matt Nagy, and the roster was devoid of talent and hindered by questionable salary cap decisions. They recognized a rebuild that required a great deal of patience.
Their approach was methodical. They needed to evaluate whether quarterback
Justin Fields could be a franchise cornerstone, which gave them the freedom to trade away the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the
Carolina Panthers. Among the haul, the Bears recouped star receiver D.J. Moore and the No. 1 pick in 2024 that turned into quarterback
Caleb Williams.
They’ve also added pass rusher
Montez Sweat and linebacker
Tremaine Edmundsto Eberflus’ improving defense — they very nearly acquired
Matthew Judon from the
Patriots last week — and patched up the relationship with cornerback
Jaylon Johnson, keeping him on a long-term deal rather than trading him away. On offense, the Bears fortified their skill group by drafting wideout
Rome Odunze, trading for receiver
Keenan Allen, signing tight end
Gerald Everett to complement
Cole Kmet and adding running back
D’Andre Swift.
The bar had been so low for so long in Chicago that such stark progress has been easy to notice. The Bears have had a top-20 scoring offense twice in the past decade, and they’ve only made two playoff appearances since their last postseason victory in 2010. Their quest for a franchise quarterback has led to one error after another.”
There’s quite a bit more to the story at this link.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/57...s-general-manager/?source=user_shared_articleIf Bears thrive, expect assistant GM Ian Cunningham to be running his own team next year