Why Bears won't get draft pick compensation for losing Ian Cunningham to Falcons

The Chicago Bears are finally turning the corner as a franchise, with their NFC Divisional Round appearance and playoff win indicative of the team's progress toward sustained success.

But, as a part of that success, is that the Bears will begin to have their coaching staff and front office raided by other teams looking to climb the mountain. And, one of those moves happened with Ian Cunningham going to the Atlanta Falcons.

However, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network revealed, the Bears won't get any draft pick compensation for losing Cunningham. But why won't the Bears land those picks? Pelissero explained why, and it's an unfortunate circumstance that will frustrate Bears fans.

Why Bears aren't getting draft picks for losing Ian Cunningham

"Despite losing Ian Cunningham to the Falcons as GM, the Bears won't receive compensation, because Matt Ryan is considered Atlanta's 'primary football executive' under league rules," Pelissero reports.

The Bears, if circumstances were normal, would've landed two third-round compensatory picks for seeing Cunningham get hired by the Falcons.

Starting back in 2021, the NFL began awarding teams that developed minority talent to rise the ranks to become a head coach or a general manager.

Cunningham should fit the bill, but because he's not the Falcons top decision maker, the Bears won't be getting the compensation they otherwise would've.

More: Bears' list of 2026 NFL draft picks, free agents and cap space going into offseason

Matt Ryan being the Falcons' top football executive means that Cunningham isn't the foremost decision maker for the Falcons. While this is a promotion to a general manager role, the league doesn't view it in the same way as it would if Ryan weren't there.

If Cunningham were hired by another team as the decision-making GM, or if Ryan wasn't the final decision maker for the Falcons, then the Bears would've landed two third-round picks.

This is a big deal, as those two-thirds, while at the end of the round, would be very valuable assets. Instead, the Bears aren't getting any compensation for losing Cunningham, making his departure sting a lot.

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