Jan. 24, 2026, 10:53 a.m. ET

No one will admit to being on the wrong side of this argument now, but once upon a time, Jeffrey Lurie made a statement that he was buried for. If memory serves, it was early in 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ chairman and CEO was quoted as saying his front-office staff had “about five people that right now I could project that will be general managers in this league”.

People chuckled. ‘Sure, they thought. He’s talking about his staff. What is he supposed to say? Looking back, Mr. Lurie was spot on. He knew what he was talking about. Catherine RaiÌ‚che and Brandon Brown were two of the apples of his eye. Two others are now finalists for the Atlanta Falcons‘ vacancy at general manager.

You have already heard the name Joe Douglas. Atlanta reportedly requested an interview with him. Three other former Eagles executives are also being considered, including two whom Lurie once referenced as potential leaders of an NFL franchise.

Andy Weidl

Andy Weidl originally joined the scouting department as the assistant director of player personnel. He worked under Joe Douglas in that role. He eventually earned a promotion to become the team’s vice president of player personnel and is currently the Pittsburgh Steelers’ assistant general manager.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Ian Cunningham

A former 2008 undrafted free agent who played one season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cunningham joined the Baltimore Ravens‘ staff, first as a personnel assistant (2008-12) before becoming an area scout (2013-16). He joined the Eagles in 2017, working his way up through the ladder. His stay in the City of Brotherly Love saw him serve in several capacities.

He was the director of college scouting from 2017 to 2018. He then assumed assistant director of player personnel duties (2019–20) before becoming director of player personnel (2021). He is currently serving as assistant GM for the Chicago Bears.

Mike Bradway

Before joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, Bradway spent a decade with the Eagles. He began his career in Philadelphia as a college scouting assistant and eventually became a scouting coordinator.

During his time with the Eagles, he worked as both an area scout and a regional scout before eventually becoming assistant director of college scouting.

He held that role during the 2014, 2016, and 2017 seasons. He also played tight end for the Villanova Wildcats from 2004 07.