The Chicago Bears have been reshaping their coaching staff after last year's disappointing results, hiring Ben Johnson and letting him control the rest of the sideline.
However, the front office has largely stayed the same. For better or worse, Ryan Poles will get another chance to turn the Bears into a contender alongside Johnson. He's done a nice job building the defense and offensive skill-position players, yet this offseason is still critical to prove he deserves to stay in his position.
In such an important time, there was hope he could keep his entire staff together. Unfortunately for Poles, it sounds like he's on the verge of losing his right-hand man.
Looks like #Bears Asst. GM Ian Cunningham is closing in on landing the Jacksonville GM job. This per @Schultz_Report pic.twitter.com/5OWwMH5Cda
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) February 19, 2025
Bears Assistant GM Close to Landing Jaguars GM Job
According to Jordan Schultz of ESPN, his feeling is that Cunningham is the leading candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars' vacant general manager position.
"My sense all along has been that this is Ian Cunningham's job to lose," Schultz said. "The Bears assistant GM, a two-time finalist for the Titans' role, has won Super Bowls with both Baltimore and Philadelphia. One league source described Cunningham as having 'exactly the type of temperament and scouting background teams want these days.'"
Cunningham has been in the NFL since 2008 and with the Bears since 2022 as the assistant general manager. He also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens as an assistant and scout and the Philadelphia Eagles as a director of college scouting and director of player personnel.
Those are obviously two of the most successful organizations in the NFL, so a lowly team like the Jaguars would be wise to target someone with Cunningham's wealth of experience. A highly-coveted front office voice, Cunningham is likely to get a GM job sooner than later even if it's not with Jacksonville in this cycle.
Based on Schultz's reporting though, it appears that Cunningham will soon be leaving Poles' side in Chicago.