Ian Cunningham was a prominent name in the NFL front office circuit even before he joined the Chicago Bears in 2022. Before that, he'd played a big part in helping the Philadelphia Eagles build their first Super Bowl championship team in 2017. Before that, he'd come up in the Baltimore Ravens' vaunted scouting system, during which he won a Super Bowl in 2012. Everyone around the league knew his reputation. He's gotten multiple interviews for GM jobs each of the past few years. None of it has happened yet.
It was felt that the Bears' lack of on-field success was holding him back. Teams are usually reluctant to take chances on young executives who come from losing organizations. All of that changed this year as Chicago broke through for an 11-5 record, winning the NFC North title. It's been highlighted by the ascent of several young players Cunningham helped draft, including Darnell Wright, Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden. According to ESPN, this has put the assistant GM atop the list of hottest GM candidates.
Names that come up fairly often for the general manager cycle include Green Bay vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and Indianapolis assistant general manager Ed Dodds. They have significant personnel experience. Also, Chicago assistant GM Ian Cunningham has been a fixture on the scene and has helped build Chicago into a winner.
Losing Ian Cunningham will be tough for the Bears.
Not only is he a credible talent evaluator, but it's his leadership and steady presence that have been felt the most. Nobody has done a better job of curbing Ryan Poles' urges than him. There have been a few instances where the Bears' GM has wanted to be aggressive early in a draft to select players he wants. Every time, it was Ian Cunningham who talked him down, insisting they trust the board. Losing that calming presence won't be easy. Someone will have to step up in his place to keep Poles grounded.
Based on the current structure of the Bears' front office, it's a reasonable guess that senior director of player personnel Jeff King is the heir apparent to Cunningham's assistant GM position. His voice has been growing inside the building over the past couple of years. Poles clearly trusts him and he's well-respected by everybody. The interesting part will be whether Cunningham tries to bring anyone with him whenever he gets that job.
