The Falcons have made their move. On Thursday night, Atlanta named Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham as its new GM, sealing a sweeping reboot at the top of the franchise. At 40, Cunningham becomes the point person for roster building as the Falcons try to finally end an eight-year playoff drought.

His arrival completes an aggressive reshaping in Flowery Branch that already placed former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan in the role of president of football and brought in Kevin Stefanski as head coach. Together, this trio forms the new spine of the organization. The task is straightforward to say and hard to do: build a winner for the first time since 2017.

Cunningham steps in for Terry Fontenot, who was dismissed on Jan. 4 after an 8-9 season, a move paired with the firing of head coach Raheem Morris. Atlanta believes a fresh voice in talent evaluation—backed by a proven builder’s background—can change the team’s direction.

Why Atlanta chose Ian Cunningham now

Ryan put it clearly: “His vision for our team and organization aligned exactly with the type of leader we were seeking to help take the Falcons to the next level… We love his broad and deep experience across every aspect of talent evaluation and know he’s learned from some of the best in the league.”

That “broad and deep” piece is not fluff. Cunningham has worked inside winning programs across three different franchises. He has been part of two Super Bowl-winning organizations and helped the Bears climb back to the top of the NFC North in 2025 with a Divisional Round run. In Atlanta, he joins a structure that owner Arthur Blank outlined in mid-January, with Ryan serving as the top football decision-maker. Because of that setup, the Bears will not receive compensatory draft picks: the move is considered lateral on the NFL’s hiring tree.

“Is this finally the Ravens-and-Eagles blueprint coming to Atlanta?”

The resume: Ravens roots, Eagles polish, Bears rebuild

Cunningham’s path is a steady climb through respected scouting rooms and front offices:

• Ravens (2008–2016): Personnel assistant and area scout across nine seasons, making the playoffs in six and winning Super Bowl XLVII.
• Eagles (2017–2021): Rose from director of college scouting to director of player personnel. Philadelphia won Super Bowl LII during his tenure.
• Bears (2022–2025): Assistant GM under Ryan Poles, helping guide a roster rebuild that included bold trades (like Roquan Smith to the Ravens and Robert Quinn to the Eagles in 2022), hiring Ben Johnson as head coach, and claiming the 2025 NFC North before a Divisional Round appearance.

Before the front-office ride, Cunningham started 31 games as an offensive lineman at Virginia, earning a psychology degree in 2007 and a master’s in education in 2008. He briefly signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent that year. His welcome-to-the-league moment still makes him laugh: “They gave me Jared Allen’s number—he had just left to go to Minnesota—and my locker was next to Tony Gonzalez’s… Looking back on it, I should have known that I wasn’t going to be [there] for long.”

The search: a wide net, a focused finish

Atlanta’s GM hunt was not narrow. Cunningham earned second interviews as a finalist alongside Houston Texans assistant GM James Liipfert. The Falcons also met with Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Bradway, San Francisco 49ers director Josh Williams, and former Jets GM Joe Douglas. At one point, Cunningham even interviewed for other roles in Atlanta, including president of football, a sign of how seriously the team viewed his leadership profile.

In the end, the Falcons chose the blend of winning pedigree, roster-building reps, and calm presence that Cunningham brings. It fits a plan Blank and Ryan have talked up since the season ended: align the front office, the coaching staff, and the scouting department around one identity.

“Matt Ryan upstairs, Stefanski on the sideline, Cunningham in the lab—now end the drought.”

What changes now for the Falcons

First, expect a clear and steady approach to talent evaluation. Cunningham has seen how the Ravens and Eagles stack advantage in the draft and how the Bears used patience, trades, and development to reset their roster. He brings that same focus to Atlanta—finding value, building depth, and pushing for toughness up front.

Second, collaboration should be a feature, not a buzzword. With Ryan steering football operations and Stefanski setting on-field standards, the Falcons now have a triangle of voices that must work as one. Cunningham’s history suggests he can bridge scouts, coaches, and analytics with ease.

Third, urgency meets patience. The drought is real—eight years without a playoff game and no winning record since 2017. But fast fixes can backfire. Expect measured moves aimed at raising the floor while setting a strong core for the next three to five years.

“Winning moves are great—will Atlanta value picks like Baltimore and Philly?”

How his past can shape Atlanta’s future

The Ravens years taught Cunningham how to scout traits and find role fits. The Eagles years taught him how to keep a roster fresh around a core, even after success. The Bears years taught him how to align a rebuild, manage big trades, and return to contention within a reasonable window.

Those lessons matter now. Atlanta doesn’t need a quick headline; it needs a plan that sticks. With Ryan’s vote of confidence—“we know he’s learned from some of the best in the league”—Cunningham arrives with the kind of credibility that can settle a building and set a tone.

The bottom line

This is not a splash for splash’s sake. It is a disciplined hire with a clear aim: put a proven evaluator at the center of a new, aligned Falcons structure. Cunningham’s track record covers winning cultures, smart drafts, and tough decisions. Now he has the keys to help Atlanta climb out of the long, cold stretch.

There’s work to do. But with a GM who has lived the process at the highest level, a president of football in Matt Ryan who knows the franchise inside and out, and a head coach in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear style, the Falcons have given themselves a real shot. The next few months will show how quickly that plan turns into players—and wins.