How the Falcons’ Matt Ryan hire cost Chicago 2 draft picks
With The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Ian Cunningham as their next general managerthe Chicago Bears looks to be in line for two third-round compensatory draft picks. however, Matt Ryan has been hired as the Falcons’ president of football threw a spanner in Chicago’s comeback.
Now, the Bears they will get nothing because Cunningham is leaving. Because Ryan is considered the Atlantic’s “primary football executive,” Chicago is not being compensated, via NFL Network’s Tom Pelliser. Cunningham would have to have final say on all things football for the Bears to get their picks.
Under league rules, if another team hires a minority as their head coach or general manager, their original team will receive a third-round pick in the next two drafts. The The government was established in 2020 under the league’s equal employment and workplace diversity policies, via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The new plan was first put into effect when the Detroit Lions hired Brad Holmes as their general manager in 2021. The Los Angeles Rams, where Holmes was their director of college scouting, received third-round picks in both 2021 and 2022.
But when he got the Lions, it was Holmes who decided. Those below him reported directly to the CEO. That won’t be the case with Cunningham and the Falcons.
The now-former Bears executive will play a big role in how Atlanta builds its roster. They didn’t hire him for no reason. But at the same time, Cunningham will brief Ryan before making any concrete decisions himself. That difference is why Chicago doesn’t get a pair of picks.
Cunningham has done a lot of good for the Bears during his run in the front office. But now they have to watch him walk out the door to start a new life in the NFL.
2026-01-30 15:17:00
