The Atlanta Falcons cleaned house by firing both Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, which means that the majority of these next few weeks will be spent speculating about who could replace them. Luckily, the Falcons' search for a new coach and GM are both off to a sizzling start at the moment.
It's common knowledge that the team requested to interview two coaches to succeed Morris, but we've finally received our first name in the search to replace Fontenot. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported this morning that the Dirty Birds requested to interview Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for the general manager opening.
The Falcons requested an interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for their GM job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 6, 2026
Cunningham has been a finalist for multiple GM jobs in recent years. Bears GM Ryan Poles played at BC with Matt Ryan, who's widely expected to be ATL's new football president.
Cunningham spent a long time in Philadelphia, but has been Ryan Poles' right hand man in Chicago since the start of the 2022 season. That means he is one of the masterminds behind one of the biggest turnarounds in football in 2025, so it should be no surprise to see the Falcons have interest.
And apparently, they have enough interest in him to also want to interview him for their President of Football opening, which could just be an excuse to sit down with him again.
Falcons requested to interview Ian Cunningham for GM vacancy
Something worth noting is that Poles played with new Falcons' president of football operations Matt Ryan at Boston College, so there is evidently a rapport there. That could be pivotal in the GM search, as Cunningham has been lauded as a potential favorite for the position across these last few days.
With that said, Cunningham worked under both Howie Roseman and Ozzie Newsome, so his track record stands out in making him a top candidate far more than any ties between Poles and Ryan.
Pelissero's tweet also revealed that the two-time Super Bowl-winning executive was a finalist for multiple general manager jobs in recent years, but the most notable example is the Commanders' GM search where they ultimately hired Adam Peters for the job back in 2024 to work with Dan Quinn.
However, the Bears connections don't end there. Poles' predecessor in Chicago, Ryan Pace, is the vice president of football operations in Atlanta, so the front office has significant ties to Poles and the current Bears' front office, which is something that will almost certainly play a factor in the GM search.
Obviously, this won't be the only candidate the Falcons interview for their GM opening, but right now, he looks to be the early favorite. With that said though, he's been the only name linked to the job right now, but just like with the head coach opening, expect Ryan and Arthur Blank to cast a wide net.
To be frank, Cunningham would be a great get to build on the core Fontenot built. Despite the lack of the first round pick, the only true question mark on this roster is a murky quarterback situation, but if he comes to Atlanta, this is a roster that should easily be competing for a playoff spot every year.