The Bears are appealing to get draft picks after Atlanta hired Ian Cunningham. Can it work?

Previewing the NFL scouting combine | Chicago Sports Tonight

Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson are set to meet the media Tuesday in Indianapolis as the NFL scouting combine gets underway. 

INDIANAPOLIS - When Ian Cunningham was hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager, the most plugged-in Chicago Bears fans expected the Bears to earn two compensatory draft picks from the league.

Cunningham and Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles also believe they should have gotten draft picks from the league, though.

At their NFL Combine podium media sessions on Tuesday, both expressed their belief that the Bears should have been awarded the two third-round selections in this year’s draft and next year’s draft as part of the Rooney Rule, which states that an NFL franchise is awarded for developing minority candidates into primary football decision-makers.

The Bears believe they should to a point where they’ve communicated to the league about a potential appeal.

"How we do that and why we do that has nothing to do with compensation whatsoever," Poles said. "I want to make that very clear on the other side of the set of rules that were put in place that I think can be applied to the situation. So, we've communicated through the right channels."

What they're saying:

Poles knows about the Rooney Rule compensation. The Chiefs benefit from that rule when the Bears hired him from Kansas City to be their new GM.

That came full circle in 2023 when the Bears played at Kansas City.

"To be compensated for that's a little strange," Poles said. "I saw the Chiefs get a pick because of me and then I watched that player go and play." 

From Cunningham’s perspective, he was hired as a general manager. It’s that simple.

"I'm the general manager. I was hired," Cunningham said. "I would think that they would get two third-round picks."

It would be a bigger deal if the picks weren’t day-two selections.

The Bears, with a roster that’s going to be under construction, could use young talented players that might be able to start in 2026.

But, the picks aren’t something the Bears take the most pride in.

Poles takes the most pride in developing a colleague who became a general manager in the National Football League.

"At the end of the day, you should want to develop your staff regardless of the color of their skin. I think that's important," Poles said. "We take a lot of pride with the Bears on how we are set up, and I take a lot of pride in that. 

The other side:

Poles said the Bears have had conversations with the league about missing out on the compensatory picks.

"We've had conversations," he said.

It remains unclear if that’s something the Bears can appeal. However, there’s specific wording to understand. But, it seems clear to Cunningham that the Bears should have gotten picks.

"I haven't had much time to really dive into the wording of it," Cunningham said. "It was always my interpretation that when a general manager gets hired, that team would receive two third-round picks."

But, the league has already weighed in.

When the Falcons hired Matt Ryan as their President of Football Operations, it was clear Ryan was going to be the primary decision maker.

"The policy for receiving picks pertains to the head coach or the primary football executive," Chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to FOX Chicago on Feb. 11. "The primary football executive position was filled by Matt Ryan."

Cunningham made it clear that without the Bears, he wouldn’t be in a position to be a general manager in 2026.

"I don't know the wording of it. That's just my perspective," Cunningham said. "I wouldn't be sitting here if it weren't for them giving me that job and helping me grow to get this job right."