NFL insider Albert Breer recently shared in an article that he has heard from people around the league that the Indianapolis Colts could consider a replacement as general manager following the 2024 season.
In a recent interview on the Rich Eisen show, he shared even more information that fans would want to hear.
“The people I’ve talked to, it sounds more like general manager might be a question there rather than a coach. I do think they really like Shane Steichen; I think Chris Ballard, on balance, has done a pretty good job there but has had eight years and only made the playoffs twice. So do they look at it and say, okay, Shane Steichen, you can bring in your own guy? Do you bring in someone like Ian Cunningham from Chicago, who you were in Philadelphia, and we build this around the two of you? I think there are a lot of those sorts of discussions happening right now. I would say Indianapolis and Miami are the two where the coaches are relatively safe, but there might be some discussions about the future of general manager in those places.”
– Albert Breer on the Rich Eisen Show
Breer not only suggested that Ballard’s job is more at risk than Steichen’s but also named Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham as a potential replacement. Breer did this because of their past working relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, his willingness to drop a name unprompted like that is certainly intriguing.
Ian Cunningham’s career in the NFL:
- 2022-Present: Chicago Bears – Assistant GM
- 2021-2022: Philadelphia Eagles – Director of Player Personnel
- 2019-2021: Philadelphia Eagles – Assistant Director of Player Personnel
- 2017-2019: Philadelphia Eagles – Director of College Scouting
- 2008-2017: Baltimore Ravens – Area Scout
Cunningham has been praised for quite some time for his mind in the scouting world. He has been a major voice for the Eagles and the Bears and spent nearly a decade as a scout with the Ravens. If the Colts did elect to go this route, it would be beneficial that he and Steichen have a past working relationship. But the team has already had success drafting with Ballard at the helm. So, it would be important for Cunningham to build a staff that can excel in the other elements that the job requires. However, being able to continue and potentially even improve at drafting on top of improving elsewhere would be a solid starting point for the Colts.