The Atlanta Falcons have assembled their new franchise hierarchy.
Ian Cunningham, the Chicago Bears’ assistant GM since 2022, has been hired as the new general manager of the Falcons, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday. The team later announced the hire.
Cunningham and new head coach Kevin Stefanski will report to the club's new president of football Matt Ryan, as previously noted by owner Arthur Blank on Jan. 13.
“From the first time we met with Ian, his bright and innovative mind quickly made an impact on our group," Blank said in a statement. "Through our research, it is clear he is a selfless individual driven by a pursuit of perfection and is impeccable with his word while never pausing on his quest to learn more and challenge the status quo. As we have previously said, our objective is to win games and contend for championships every year, a focus that Ian shares and has demonstrated throughout his career. We look forward to the leadership we now have in place with Matt Ryan, Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham and the work that is to come from our organization as it builds on what is already a strong foundation.”
Cunningham, 40, emerged from a crop of interviewees that included Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Bradway, San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football ops Josh Williams and former New York Jets GM Joe Douglas. It was Cunningham and Houston Texans assistant GM James Liipfert that ended up as the finalists garnering second interviews before Cunningham, a finalist for the Jacksonville Jaguars GM spot last year, won out.
Cunningham will officially succeed Terry Fontenot, who was fired, along with head coach Raheem Morris on Jan. 4, after an 8-9 season that fell far short of expectations for Blank. Indeed, 2026 will be a pivotal point for the franchise, with Cunningham succeeding Fontenot, who had been the team's general manager since 2021. Atlanta hasn't advanced to the postseason or tallied a winning season since 2017, when Dan Quinn was head coach, Thomas Dimitroff was GM and Ryan was the team's quarterback.
With Ryan overseeing the newly structured Falcons, the expectation is Stefanski, Cunningham and a returning Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback will drive the franchise to prosperity that's been so arduous to find for nearly a decade.
Cunningham is fresh off a turnaround in Chicago, as he was Bears GM Ryan Poles' right-hand man as the team restructured a roster, hired an offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson and saw fruit beared in the form of an NFC North title and an NFC Divisional Round appearance.
While the Jaguars’ GM-less contingent was hiring Coen, Cunningham had already played a hand in the Bears and GM Ryan Poles landing Ben Johnson to lead Chicago. It was the latest impressive bullet point on a resume that boasts a background with strong analytics and scouting experience.
Cunningham has been part of two Super Bowl-winning squads: the 2012 Baltimore Ravens as a personnel assistant and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles as the director of college scouting.
Following lengthy runs with Baltimore (2008-2016) and Philadelphia (2017-2021), Cunningham’s time with Chicago was his shortest, having joined the franchise in 2022.
He’s risen up the ranks and now is taking the reins of the Falcons with the aim of turning the franchise around and wrapping up a thus-far tumultuous offseason.