The Chicago Bears are one step closer to losing a top executive, but gaining more draft capital in the process, after recent news coming from another NFL team.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Bears’ assistant general manager Ian Cunningham will be getting a second interview with the Tennessee Titans for the team’s vacant general manager position.
Cunningham was hired by the Bears in 2022 to become the right-hand man to general manager Ryan Poles. And now he’s knocking on the door of landing a position in the big chair of his own.
It won’t come with some competition though. Five other candidates will be getting second interviews for the position as well: Terrance Gray, John Skytek, Mike Borgonzi, Ed Dobbs, and Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Cunningham got two interviews last cycle with Tennessee but the organization ended up going with Ran Carthon, only to part ways with him after one season. Cunningham was also a finalist for the Washington Commanders’ vacant position last offseason.
If the Titans decide to hire Cunningham this time around, the Bears will receive two third-round picks, one in 2025 and one in 2026. The compensatory picks would be awarded for developing minority coaches and general managers that go on to work with other organizations.
It seems like this year will be the year for Cunningham and it’s in his best interest to take the position if offered by the Titans given Poles’ uncertain future beyond 2025.
While Cunningham has been getting prepared for his upcoming interviews, the Bears have been hosting interviews of their own without Cunningham (as of now) for the team’s head coach job.
“I think it’s really important to allow Ian to go through his own interview process if that pops up,” Poles said during his end of season press conference. “If it doesn’t, he will be in that group as well as we move forward.