The Ian Cunningham saga ends the same way it began — with the Chicago Bears being denied compensatory picks for losing their assistant general manager to a promotion with the Atlanta Falcons.
Brad Biggs shares the scoop and the details now that the appeal process is officially in the books:
"The policy is designed to provide picks for the Primary Football Executive position. The League determined Mr. Cunningham did not fill that role with the Falcons as it is defined in League rules."(2 of 2)
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) April 3, 2026That Atlanta Falcons President of Football Matt Ryan admits that he doesn’t understand why the Bears aren’t getting comp picks captures how obtuse the NFL is being right now. The Falcons, at multiple points this offseason, have said being the primary football executive is his role. This is outrageous to the umpteenth degree. Make it make sense. Please. I’m asking nicely so I can have a better understanding of what is going on here.
NEWS: No Comp Picks For Bears After Losing Ian Cunningham to Falcons
It should not surprise me that the same league that has no idea how to define a catch also has no clue how to define a “Primary Football Executive.” And yet, here we are as the NFL has made a final decision to not compensate the Bears for losing former assistant GM Ian Cunningham to a promotion in which he has been declared by the team that employs him to be the lead football decision-maker. Seeing the league double-down on its original decision despite the obvious is mind-numbingly foolish. I’m not wholly surprised. After all, the NFL rarely (if ever) goes back on its initial stance when it comes to league rulings. But I am disappointed.
Even after fighting the good fight to its bitter end, the Bears are left without compensatory picks. That means the team will officially enter the 2026 NFL Draft with the following selections:
Round 1, Pick 25 Round 2, Pick 57 Round 2, Pick 60 (via Buffalo Bills) Round 3, Pick 89 Round 4, Pick 129 (via Los Angeles Rams) Round 7, Pick 239 (via Philadelphia Eagles) Round 7, Pick 241I wish I could end this post on a high note, but I can’t do that right now. This whole ordeal has bothered me on several levels. The Bears did a good thing by creating a new front office position to employ Ian Cunningham, helped him develop his skills front office skills, and allowed him to leave for a promotion. Under the stipulations laid out by the league in the Rooney Rule, the team was entitled to a pair of compensatory third-round picks. That Chicago isn’t getting them is inexplicable. I hope this final ruling isn’t a response to the demands of Florida’s attorney general to eliminate the rule.
What frustrates me more is that this is the type of thing that could set a bad precedent around the league. And because the NFL has a history of exploiting loopholes, I have an unsettling feeling in my stomach that this might’ve just opened another.
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