Falcons hire Cunningham as general manager

The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Ian Cunningham as their new general manager, the team announced Thursday.

Cunningham has served as the Chicago Bears' assistant GM for the last four years. He was previously the assistant director of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Bears.

"It was evident through our rigorous interview process Ian was the right choice for our general manager position," Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said in a statement. "His vision for our team and organization aligned exactly with the type of leader we were seeking to help take the Falcons to the next level."

The 40-year-old takes over the position after Atlanta fired GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris in early January. Fontentot held the general manager role since 2021, posting a 37-48 record with no postseason appearances.

Cunningham completed a second interview with Atlanta on Thursday. He was also considered for the team's president of football job before it was given to former Falcons franchise quarterback Ryan.

Ryan and Cunningham will now oversee Atlanta's front-office decisions, with Kevin Stefanski as the club's new head coach. Stefanski, 43, was hired earlier this month to replace Morris.

"Pairing him with Coach Stefanski is exciting for us, and we can't wait to see them bring our shared vision to life in everything we do starting right now," Ryan added.

The Falcons project to have $17.4-million in cap space for the 2026 season, according to Over The Cap. Key players set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason include Kyle Pitts, Leonard Floyd, and David Onyemata.