Jhelum Mehta
The Chicago Bears made some sneaky-solid offseason moves, but eventually took an L off the field. They lost a key front office piece when Ian Cunningham bolted for the Atlanta Falcons GM job, and now the comp pick they were banking on? Yeah… that’s looking like a no-go.
Chicago was hoping the NFL would throw them a bone with a compensatory pick after Cunningham’s exit. However, since Matt Ryan is running the show in Atlanta as President of Football Ops, Cunningham doesn’t technically hold the top football authority role.
The NFL just made it official. No compensatory picks. Case closed. Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin on X, the league told Chicago their appeal didn’t move the chains: Cunningham’s exit doesn’t qualify for draft comp, and that’s the final whistle on that debate.
The Bears tried to make the case that Ian Cunningham stepping into a GM role with the Falcons should count, but the league wasn’t convinced. Even though Cunningham handled GM duties and showed up in the annual GM photo, the NFL said it wasn’t enough to meet the criteria.
Chicago reportedly pushed hard even after the league dropped its 2026 draft order back in March (with zero comp picks for them), but the replay didn’t go their way. Now, they’re heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with their original seven picks. Headlined by No. 25 overall and a pair of second-rounders.
No bonus picks. No bailout. Just the hand they were dealt. And now it’s on the Bears’ front office to make every snap count on draft weekend.
