Bears asking NFL for answer over Ian Cunningham compensatory pick issue

The Chicago Bears lost Ian Cunningham, a high-ranking executive in the Bears' front office, to the Atlanta Falcons for a general manager job.

It's a great promotion for Cunningham, and it can actually be good for the Bears, too, thanks to the NFL's Rooney Rule stating that in this kind of scenario, the Bears should receive two third-round compensatory draft picks.

That hasn't happened, and Bears fans are, rightfully, upset. Ryan Poles and the Bears organization aren't happy either, as, according to Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears, Poles and the team have reached out to the NFL about this issue and are waiting to hear back.

Bears reach out to NFL about Ian Cunningham compensatory pick issue

"Update from Ryan Poles: They are still talking to the league about getting compensation," Hoge reports. "Waiting to hear back. So it sounds like it's still possible."

The Bears are trying to get the NFL to award them two compensatory picks for Cunningham landing the general manager job he got with the Falcons.

Teams will get two third-round compensatory picks, which would come at the end of the round, for losing a minority executive or coach to a general manager or head coaching job.

Most recently, the San Francisco 49ers got these compensatory picks for seeing Robert Saleh get hired by the New York Jets as their head coach.

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While it might be a "strange" rule according to Poles, it's still in the rulebook, and something that the Bears should take advantage of.

However, even though Cunningham's hiring with the Falcons should bring the Bears two third-round picks, nothing has been determined for the Bears.

Poles and the Bears are trying to get answers from the NFL, and for now, they're waiting to hear back from the league if they will actually land those two very valuable third-round compensatory picks, which would come into play during the 2027 NFL Draft.

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