Why Bears won’t receive compensatory draft picks after losing Ian Cunningham

The Chicago Bears rode Ben Johnson’s head coaching debut all the way to the divisional round of the playoffs. However, their season ended when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Bears in overtime. But with Johnson at the helm and quarterback Caleb Williams developing into one of the league’s top passers, the arrow is pointing up for Chicago.

Of course, the Bears’ success in 2025 drew interest from the rest of the league. And on Thursday, Chicago lost front office executive Ian Cunningham to an NFC rival. The Atlanta Falcons hired Cunningham as their new GM. He had been with the Bears for four seasons, joining the team alongside Ryan Poles in 2022.

While Cunningham is being promoted from assistant GM in Chicago to Falcons GM, Chicago will not be compensated for his loss. “The Bears will not receive two third-round compensatory picks for Ian Cunningham leaving, because Matt Ryan is considered the lead football executive in Atlanta,” according to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.

Bears hope to build on Ben Johnson’s successful debut

In addition to awarding draft picks to teams that lose free agents and aren’t able to replace them in quantity or quality, compensatory picks are also awarded when a minority staffer is hired by another team as a head coach or top executive. The league began this policy following an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement in 2020 aimed at promoting equal opportunity.

Cunningham became the second black GM in Falcons history, after his predecessor Terry Fontenot. And his move from assistant GM to general manager would normally trigger two compensatory picks for the Bears. However, the GM is no longer the top football executive in Atlanta.

After the Falcons fired Raheem Morris and Fontenot at the end of the regular season, owner Arthur Blank created a new position within the organization, president of football. The Falcons hired Matt Ryan as president of football. And Under Atlanta’s new structure, the head coach and GM report to Ryan, making him the primary executive. Therefore, Chicago will not be awarded compensatory picks for Cunningham’s departure.

The Bears currently have seven picks in the 2026 NFL draft. The team holds its original pick in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Additionally, Chicago acquired a fourth-round selection from the Rams and a seventh-rounder from the Browns.

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