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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 17: General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on November 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Chicago Bears<\/a> have been lobbying to receive compensatory draft picks for the departure of assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who is heading over to the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> to become their general manager, and the NFL has made its final decision<\/a> on Friday, April 3rd.<\/p>\n \u201cThe matter is now closed following the club\u2019s appeal. The NFL<\/a> informed the Bears today that they will not receive compensatory picks. The policy is designed to provide picks for the Primary Football Executive position. The League determined Mr. Cunningham did not fill that role with the Falcons as it is defined in League rules.\u201d<\/p>\n So, the Bears will not be receiving any compensatory picks, but it changes the way fans will look at the supposed \u201cRooney Rule\u201d and how the NFL determines matters of this magnitude.<\/p>\n The #Bears<\/a> have been lobbying for draft pick compensation following the hire of Ian Cunningham as #Falcons<\/a> GM. Today, the NFL responded stating there will be no picks coming:<\/p>\n \u201cThe matter is now closed following the club\u2019s appeal. The NFL informed the Bears today they will not<\/p>\n NFL Makes Final Decision on Bears Receiving Compensatory Draft Picks<\/p>\n It feels like the Bears were robbed of their deserved draft picks.<\/p>\n \u201cI kind of put that whole thing into two buckets,\u201d general manager Ryan Poles said<\/a> back in March when the Bears first heard they weren\u2019t receiving any compensatory draft picks. \u201cOne, I\u2019m really proud that Ian has this opportunity to be a general manager. It\u2019s something we\u2019ve talked about for a long time, before we were even employed by the Bears. It was our vision to climb through the ranks, to get a seat, the GM seat and then help the other one get to their position as well. So I\u2019m really happy for him. How we do that and why we do that has nothing to do with compensation whatsoever. I want to make that very clear. There\u2019s a set of rules that has been put in place that I think can be applied to this situation. So we have communicated through the right channels. We\u2019ll see what happens going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bears later made another plea to the NFL, with owner George McCaskey believing<\/a> the organization \u201cheld true to the spirit of the NFL\u2019s diversity initiative and the letter of it in developing former executive Ian Cunningham, yet the league hasn\u2019t awarded the team two compensatory third-round draft picks as part of the Falcons hiring Cunningham as general manager in January.\u201d<\/p>\n Heck, even Cunningham himself believed the Bears should have received the picks, saying, \u201cIt was always my interpretation that if a general manager gets hired, that team would receive two third-round picks. I\u2019m the general manager. I was hired. I would think that they would get two third-round picks.\u201d<\/p>\n Bears Deserved It, Yet This Opens Up A Bigger Conversation<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Courtney Cronin, who covers the Bears, gave a detailed explanation<\/a> on why this will lead to a \u201creal conversation about the rule in the first place and how poorly this reflects back on the league.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bears were loud in the right places (public media settings with maximum visibility at the combine) regarding how they felt wronged by the NFL\u2019s decision to not award comp picks for Ian Cunningham\u2019s departure. It goes against the spirit of what the Rooney Rule is supposed to be about (promoting minority advancement in coaching and front office positions). The NFL was adamant in January that it wasn\u2019t something that could be appealed but the Bears tried anyways. Can\u2019t fault them for their attempt, but fall out from this should lead to a real conversation about the rule in the first place and how poorly this reflects back on the league.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are a couple of reactions from some notable Bears personalities on X:<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t blame the Bears for trying. Bad look for the NFL.\u201d @NicholasMoreano<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Bears should sue the league.\u201d @GBraggsJr23<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGet rid of the incentive then if the league isn\u2019t going to play the rules. This is ridiculous. Matt Ryan has done nothing to show he\u2019s the primary football executive. Then again, asking the NFL to admit they made a mistake is laughable.\u201d @BrendanSugrue<\/a><\/p>\n Now, the Bears will have to move on and prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft without the compensatory draft picks.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Bears\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t