Bears could receive massive NFL Draft reward if Titans hire Ian Cunningham as GM

The Tennessee Titans completed their first-round virtual general manager interview with Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham on Sunday, putting the Bears one step closer to receiving a boost to their arsenal of NFL draft picks for the next two years.

If the Titans hire Cunningham, the Bears will receive two third-round picks (one in each of the next two NFL drafts) as part of the league’s initiative to develop minority coaches and general managers to other organizations.

Cunningham, who’s been employed by the Bears for three years, was a popular name as a general manager candidate last offseason and was a finalist for the Washington Commanders.

Tennessee hired Ran Carthon as their general manager in 2023, and he was given the additional title of executive vice president this past season, essentially putting him in charge of all football operations.

Carthon’s time with the Titans didn’t last long, however. He was fired at the end of the 2024 season after Tennessee finished the year with the worst record in the NFL.

Cunningham will be selective in his quest to become a general manager, but at some point, he has to take a job. The longer he hangs around on the Bears’ staff, and the more the Bears continue to lose, the less appealing he’ll be as a GM. Now’s the time for him to make the jump, especially with the Titans holding the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As for the Bears, adding a third-round pick to a draft class that already features three selections in the top 50 is the kind of enrichment a team in need of so many upgrades requires. Add the fact Chicago will get another one in 2026? Yeah, that’s big.

It’s certainly possible that Cunningham doesn’t land the Titans job, but Bears fans should hope he does. Sure, he’s been a quality ally to Poles over the last three years, but it may be time to move on. Poles could benefit from a fresh voice as his No. 2, and the Bears will obviously gain an advantage by adding additional draft picks.

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