Falcons To Hire Ian Cunningham As GM
The Falcons are hiring Bears executive Ian Cunningham to be their next general manager, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since confirmed the news with an official announcement.
Cunningham, 40, has been Chicago’s assistant general manager for the last four years. He was a candidate for the newly created president of football operations job that went to Matt Ryan and quickly emerged as a favorite for the general manager job. He will replace Terry Fontenot, who was fired after five seasons on the job. Atlanta finished under .500 in every year of Fontenot’s tenure, which featured zero playoff berths. Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris after the 2025 season with the hopes of quickly reshaping the franchise.
Hiring Cunningham is the third step in doing just that. Bringing Ryan aboard was the first, and installing Kevin Stefanski as Morris’ successor was the second. Now, the trio will head into the offseason looking to build around the Falcons’ core of exciting young players on both sides of the ball.
This marks a significant step for Cunningham, who was a finalist for the Commanders’ GM job in 2024 and the Cardinals’ position in 2023. While Adam Peters won out for the Washington gig, Cunningham is believed to have turned down an Arizona GM offer. Cunningham also emerged as a strong Jaguars GM candidate last year. Despite Ryan’s presence, the veteran exec accepted this Atlanta position and will work in helping the team turn things around.
Cunningham began his football career as an offensive lineman at the University of Virginia. He went undrafted in 2008 and signed with the Chiefs but did not make the 53-man roster. He immediately moved into a front office career as a personnel assistant with the Ravens. He contributed to Baltimore’s 2012 Super Bowl win and became an area scout the following year. His success in that role eventually attracted the attention of Howie Roseman and the Eagles, who hired him to be their director of college scouting in 2017.
Cunningham spent five years in Philadelphia with promotions to assistant director of player personnel in 2019 and director of player personnel in 2021. The Eagles consistently had strong rosters during his tenure, with three playoff berths and the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory in 2017. Though he left for Chicago in 2022, Cunningham’s fingerprints were also all over the teams that made the Super Bowl that season and won it in 2024.
In Chicago, Cunningham joined new general manager Ryan Poles and the two worked to rebuild a team that had not won a playoff game in more than a decade. After three years and a 15-36 record, their efforts finally paid off. After drafting quarterback Caleb Williams and hiring head coach Ben Johnson in back-to-back offseasons, the Bears went 11-6, won the NFC North, and beat the Packers in the wild-card round, their best finish since 2018. Their season ended the next week with an overtime loss to the Rams, but it was clear that Cunningham helped build another championship contender.
He will now attempt to do the same in Atlanta, this time as the general manager. The Falcons already have a number of pieces in place. On offense are quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, left tackle Jake Matthews, and right guard Chris Lindstrom, and the defense features edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce, cornerback AJ Terrell, and safety Xavier Watts.
From there, Cunningham will work with Ryan and Stefanski to build around that young core, though he will not be able to get too aggressive right away. The Falcons are projected to have just $17.4MM in cap space entering the 2026 offseason, per OverTheCap, though Cunningham can obviously find ways to make more room. Atlanta will also be without its first-round pick in April’s draft having used it last year to trade up for Pearce.
Typically, when a team hires another team’s minority executive to be their general manager, the original team receives two third-round compensatory selections. But since Ryan is considered the Falcons’ primary football executive, the Bears will not be receiving any draft picks as a result of Cunningham’s hire, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. That also means Chicago could have blocked the move, but the NFC North club opted not to. Instead, the Bears will begin their own search to replace Cunningham as Poles’ top lieutenant.
Falcons Set Up Second GM Interviews With Ian Cunningham, James Liipfert
The Falcons are getting closer to hiring a general manager to replace the ousted Terry Fontenot. Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said the team has “some” in-person interviews coming up (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). They’ve identified at least a couple of finalists.
Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham will meet with the Falcons for a second interview this week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN relays. Texans assistant GM James Liipfert, a Georgia native, also remains in the running after an impressive initial interview, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Both Cunningham and Liipfert will interview on Thursday, per Breer.
Cunningham, reportedly the favorite to become the Falcons’ GM, interviewed for their newly created president of football position before it went to Ryan. The 40-year-old has a connection to Ryan in Bears GM Ryan Poles, who was one of Ryan’s teammates at Boston College.
Cunningham, formerly with the Ravens and Eagles, has worked under Poles in Chicago since 2022. He has interviewed elsewhere for several promotions since then, including the Commanders’ president of football operations gig in January 2024. Cunningham was a finalist for that opening, but the Commanders hired Adam Peters instead. Two years later, Cunningham may head to Atlanta in a prominent position.
Liipfert, a former Georgia Tech linebacker, spent nine years in a scouting capacity with the Patriots before the Texans hired him as their director of college scouting in 2019. He has since climbed up the front office ranks in Houston, which promoted him to assistant director of personnel and then executive director of player personnel before moving him to assistant GM last June. Liipfert has a long history with Texans executive vice president/GM Nick Caserio, as the two previously worked together in New England.
“He’s earned his opportunity, so credit to him,” Caserio said of Liipfert (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2). “Whatever the Falcons decide to do, but hopefully he’s here helping the Texans. He’s fortunate to have the opportunity and I’m sure he’ll do a good job with it. Happy for James and see how it goes.”
It’s unknown if the Falcons will conduct second interviews with other candidates, but here’s a look at the other names they’ve considered:
- Mike Bradway, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/23
- Joe Douglas, senior personnel director (Eagles): Interviewed 1/23
- Andy Weidl, assistant general manager (Steelers): Interviewed 1/22
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Ian Cunningham Favorite For Falcons’ GM Position?
The Falcons announced the completion of general manager interviews for four candidates today as the team seeks a total reload of team leadership this offseason. They hired former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to fill the same position in Atlanta last weekend, and now, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham is considered the frontrunner to be named general manager.
Cunningham was one of the four to interview for the GM job today, but it wasn’t his first interview with the Falcons. Earlier in their offseason, there were reports that Atlanta was expected to hire former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan to a front office job. Presumably reasoning that the position they intended to hire him into would require Rooney Rule compliance, they quickly scheduled interviews with four other candidates, of which Cunningham was one.
Kendall asserted today that, ever since Cunningham interviewed for the president of football job that went to Ryan, he’s been considered the favorite to land the general manager job. Cunningham wasn’t the only president of football candidate to be brought back for GM interviews, though. San Francisco’s director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams has also been a candidate for both positions. Williams also interviewed today, and his experience working with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan — Ryan’s old offensive coordinator in Atlanta — should provide him some confidence in his ability to work with Ryan.
The other two GM candidates to interview today were Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Bradway and Eagles senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager Joe Douglas. Bradway has been tied to the Chiefs for five years and the Eagles for the 10 years before that. The son of former Jets general manager Terry Bradway, he just recently started to garner interest that could lead to him following in his father’s footsteps to become an NFL general manager. Douglas is a year removed from serving as the Jets general manager himself. Of the six candidates who have interviewed, he’s the only one with actual GM experience, serving six years in the role in New York.
The other two candidates, Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl and Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert, interviewed for the job yesterday. With all six named candidates having interviewed, it seems the Falcons may be well on their way to announcing their decision. If Kendall’s views of the race are accurate, Cunningham, who’s long been viewed as an up-and-coming name around front offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago, could finally land a role as a general manager.
Assuming the team is through interviewing new candidates, here’s one more look at the list of potential GMs:
- Mike Bradway, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/23
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interviewed 1/23
- Joe Douglas, senior personnel director (Eagles): Interviewed 1/23
- James Liipfert, assistant general manager (Texans): Interviewed 1/22
- Andy Weidl, assistant general manager (Steelers): Interviewed 1/22
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Falcons Add James Liipfert, Ian Cunningham, Josh Williams To GM Interview List
With the Falcons’ search for a new president of football operations and head coach complete, the team is now looking for their next general manager.
Three names have been added to the list: Texans assistant GM James Liipfert (via The Athletic’s Dianna Russini), Bears assitant GM Ian Cunningham (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). That trio joins Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl as Atlanta’s first four candidates.
Liipfert got his NFL start with the Patriots. He spent nine years in New England in various scouting roles before joining the Texans as their new director of college scouting in 2019. Liipfert began to move up the chain after Nick Caserio, a former Patriots colleague, was installed as the Texans’ general manager. Liipfert became the assistant director of player personnel in 2022, replaced ‘assistant’ with ‘executive’ in his title the following year, and moved up to assistant GM last June. His job, however, has largely stayed the same. He manages the Texans’ college scouting operations and has therefore played a huge role in building their current roster, which is powered by homegrown players.
Cunningham interviewed for the Falcons’ football operations job that went to Matt Ryan. It never seemed like anyone but Ryan would secure that position, but Cunningham did enough in his first meeting with the team that he is now under consideration for general manager. He interviewed for several jobs over the last few years, including the Jaguars’ and Titans’ GM jobs last offseason. He was thought to be a finalist for those jobs, as well as the Commanders’ vacancy in 2024. Like Liipfert, he has spent his career largely focused on scouting.
Williams also interviewed for what is now Ryan’s job and was a finalist for the Jaguars’ opening last year. He was also a finalist in the Dolphins’ search for a new GM this year, though Miami went with Jon-Eric Sullivan instead. In San Francisco, Williams oversees pro and college scouting and also assists in contract negotiations.
It is clear that the Falcons are looking to draft a general manager with a background in scouting. There are a number of young stars in Atlanta, but almost all of them were secured with first- or second-round picks. In the third round and beyond, former GM Terry Fontenot struggled to find players who could become starters while still on their rookie contract. His successor would look to correct that pattern to add more depth and build around players like Drake London and Bijan Robinson.
Falcons Interview Five For President Of Football Position
Earlier this week, it was announced that former Falcons long-time quarterback Matt Ryan was expected to be hired into a new position in Atlanta’s front office. It was initially reported as a president of football operations job, but it seems the title the Falcons are going with is just president of football. 
Per Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney, team owner Arthur Blank described the position, saying, “The leader in this new role will set the vision for our team. Our new head coach and general manager will report to the new president of football, and they will work collaboratively as a football leadership team on all football decisions. Final decision-making authority will rest with the president of football.”
This shines new light on the position as one superior to that of the head coach and general manager, who will both apparently report to this president of football. Today, the team also announced that five candidates have been interviewed for the position that had been expected to go to Ryan days ago. Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, and Ryan, the current CBS analyst, were the five interviewed candidates.
Disner started his career as an intern in New England before joining the Cardinals, with whom he spent six years as director of football administration. He then spent four years at the NFL Management Council before eventually joining the Lions. He’s been credited as being a part of the leadership group that oversaw the current general manager and head coach hirings in Detroit and connecting business strategy with football operations. The team believes Disner’s experience fits Blank’s expectations for the role very well.
Tilis also spent time at the NFL Management Council, afterwards finding his way to Kansas City. He worked for the Chiefs for 14 seasons, starting as a salary cap/contract analyst, then advancing through director of salary cap and football operations analytics, and director of football administration roles to become vice president of football operations. After three years in that role, Tilis was offered his current job in Carolina. Tilis’ financial acumen is what Atlanta covets here. He’s known as having been the lead negotiator when the Chiefs extended quarterback Patrick Mahomes to his 10-year deal. His role with the Panthers has seen him play “a role in creating cap stability while improving roster health and talent,” once again displaying the type of overarching vision that Blank is looking for.
Williams took to the business world in New York City following the end of his collegiate playing career at Columbia. He joined San Francisco’s scouting department in 2011 and has been with the team ever since, serving in the roles of pro personnel scout, NFS scout, area scout, and national scout before being elevated to his current role last year. Williams was also a participant in the NFL’s Front Office and General Manager Accelerator Program in 2024.
Cunningham started in Baltimore as a player personnel assistant, working his way up to area scout in his nine seasons with the team. He left the Ravens for Philadelphia to serve as director of college scouting before moving up to assistant director of player personnel and, eventually, director. In 2022, he was hired into his current role with the Bears, who had never had an assistant GM before. His meteoric rise through the ranks of his two prior programs and the quick turnaround to success that has followed his arrival in Chicago has Atlanta intrigued in his potential to do something similar with the Falcons.
It would be prudent to point out that, as two external minority candidates, Williams and Cunningham technically satisfy the Falcons’ Rooney Rule requirements that tend to apply to the hiring of positions such as general manager or head coach. Since this position seemingly oversees both, Atlanta may have been covering their bases by interviewing four other candidates, including the two minority candidates, instead of just hiring Ryan as initially thought in original reports. That being said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter called Cunningham “a favorite for the job,” but that remains to be seen.
Ryan was the last interviewed candidate announced by the team today, and his experience obviously comes from the 14 years he spent as the franchise’s starting quarterback. He’s reportedly become a trusted voice in the building, and his relationship with Blank makes him widely expected to land the position, as initially reported. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Ryan concluded the team’s interviews for the position, and a decision is now expected to come in the near future.
Falcons Request GM Interview With Ian Cunningham
Ian Cunningham has frequently been seen as a strong general manager candidate during recent hiring cycles. 2026 appears to be no different.
Cunningham has received an interview request from the Falcons for their GM vacancy, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. This marks the first known target for Atlanta as the team looks for a Terry Fontenot replacement. Both Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris were fired immediately after the regular season ended.
That move has left the Falcons with a pair notable vacancies in the organization. The head coach and general manager positions are not the only ones in need of being filled, however. As part of the Falcons’ restructuring, a president of football operations will soon be hired. That role is widely expected to go to Matt Ryan. GM and HC hires will not be made until after the new front office position is filled.
Cunningham represents a “strong early candidate” for the Falcons’ general manager position, Jones adds. That comes as little surprise given his strong reputation around the league. After turning down Arizona during the previous cycle, Cunningham was a finalist for the Commanders’ gig in 2024. He then lined up second interviews with both the Titans and Jaguars last offseason. For now, the former offensive lineman is in place with the Bears as their assistant GM but there is once again a strong chance he could depart in the near future.
Ryan and Bears general manager Ryan Poles are former Boston College teammates. That familiarity will be a factor to watch in Cunningham’s case, although the Dolphins’ vacancy looms as an alternate opportunity. On the other hand, Miami’s initial list of interview requests does not include Cunningham.
Only two GM openings exist at this point. Cunningham – who has experience in the scouting and personnel departments dating back to his Ravens and Eagles tenures – is a name to watch closely in Atlanta as the rest of the team’s interview targets emerges over the coming days.
Dolphins-Chris Grier Fallout: McDaniel, Waddle, Replacement Candidates
Chris Grier‘s lengthy tenure with the Dolphins – including a GM run dating back to 2016 – has come to an end. It remains to be seen if head coach Mike McDaniel will remain in the organization past the end of this season, but that is a possibility at this point. 
Owner Stephen Ross “still believes in” the embattled coach, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. That stance was confirmed by the news earlier today stating McDaniel will continue in his role through the end of the campaign. His performance over the coming weeks will in large part dictate whether or change on the sidelines will be made as well. Per Jackson, McDaniel has made a number of small changes in his approach over the past two weeks, including more one-on-one time being spent with players.
As Jackson adds, Ross is evaluating everything in the organization at this time. With respect to the front office, interim GM Champ Kelly will look to earn the full-time position while the fate of McDaniel (who landed an extension last offseason) will continue to be a talking point as the campaign winds down. Last night’s loss dropped Miami to 2-7 on the year, making the team an interesting one to watch ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
Several notable players have long been connected to trade interest, especially given the Dolphins’ struggles in 2025. Jaylen Waddle is among them, although it would come as a surprise if a deal were to be worked out on that front. Indeed, Grier was insistent on keeping the 26-year-old, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. That was certainly a reasonable approach given Waddle’s importance to the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill-less passing game. Now, though, the decision to part ways with Grier could open the door to more trades taking place than otherwise would have.
The timing of this move is intriguing since it comes just before the deadline. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports some around the NFL were surprised by the fact Grier’s run ended at this point of the season. He adds, on the other hand, the longtime executive was increasingly “feeling the pressure” with respect to his job security as the campaign progressed, meaning today’s news does not come entirely as a shock.
Kelly has until Tuesday afternoon to make a final decision on trades. In the meantime, attention will turn to his ability to earn the full-time gig while outside candidates receive consideration during the 2026 hiring cycle. With respect to potential general manager hires, Jones lists Alec Halaby (Eagles), Ed Dodds (Colts), Ian Cunningham (Bears), Glenn Cook (Browns), Jon-Eric Sullivan (Packers) and Lance Newmark (Commanders) as names to watch. Each of those executives have been connected to GM vacancies in recent years and at least most of them no doubt will be again in 2026. Connections to Miami’s opening will be worth watching for as the hiring cycle takes shape.
Ian Cunningham Jaguars GM Frontrunner?
The 2025 GM carousel has spun for several weeks, but the Jaguars have been doing the only work here for the past few. Nearly a month after firing Trent Baalke during their coaching search, the Jags are winding down their process.
As second interviews have begun, one name has jumped out. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham looks to have emerged as the frontrunner for this role, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz going so far as to saw this is his job to lose. In noting the Jaguars hope to have this position filled this weekend, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe mentions Cunningham as a candidate to watch down the stretch here. This may not be too surprising, as his name surfaced shortly after this job became open. Cunningham’s second interview is likely to take place today, per Schultz.
This is familiar territory for Cunningham, who was the runner-up for the Commanders’ GM job that went to Adam Peters last year. Cunningham also is a two-time finalist for the Titans’ GM post, conducting second interviews with the team in 2023 and ’25. A 2023 report also indicated Ryan Poles‘ top lieutenant turned down the Cardinals’ GM job, one Monti Ossenfort took. Despite the Bears yet to make the playoffs during the Poles-Cunningham regime, the latter is well-regarded around the league.
The Bears did not directly include Cunningham in the search that produced Ben Johnson last month, as Poles mentioned his AGM would have been a part of the search committee had he not been in the running for the Tennessee job. The Titans hired the Chiefs’ Mike Borgonzi to work alongside Brian Callahan (and under football ops president Chad Brinker, effectively).
This Jags post would come with potentially more responsibilities, but Liam Coen is widely viewed as the top power broker in Jacksonville post-Baalke. Coen commanded enough Jags interest that the team fired Baalke after he had led the HC search, and the one-and-done Buccaneers OC is believed to have landed a Johnson-level contract from the AFC South club. Johnson is earning upper-crust coaching money, at $13MM per year. New executive VP Tony Boselli will have a role in the post-Baalke front office as well. While the Hall of Fame tackle is not believed to be above Coen or the GM, he will play a key part here in being set to report to ownership.
If the Bears lose Cunningham, a candidate to watch will be tight end-turned-exec Jeff King. The team’s senior director of player personnel would likely be the man to succeed Cunningham to work with Poles and Johnson, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. A Ryan Pace hire, King has been with the Bears throughout his personnel career, which began in 2015. Via PFR’s General Manager Search Tracker, here is how their process stands now that it is in the finalist stage:
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interviewed 2/13
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed 2/13; strong contender?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): To conduct second interview 2/19
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): To conduct second interview
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant general manager (Raiders): Interviewed 2/14
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?; Interviewed 2/13
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel (Packers): To conduct second interview
- Ethan Waugh, interim general manager (Jaguars): Strong candidate?; To interview
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Conducted second interview 2/19
Jaguars To Conduct Second GM Interviews
The Jaguars reportedly wrapped up their first round of general manager interviews yesterday, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team will start their second round of interviews in the coming days. Per Pelissero, that will begin with Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham. Pelissero adds that Jaguars assistant (and interim) general manager Ethan Waugh will also interview this week after not being included initially in the first round of interviews.
Jacksonville conducted their first round of interviews in the last four days, concluding with meetings with Sullivan and Cunningham yesterday. Planning second interviews with each personnel executive the next day bodes well for their standing in the race for the job.
[RELATED: James Gladstone, Josh Williams Also Among Finalists]
Sullivan has spent the entirety of his 22-year career in the NFL in Green Bay, starting as a training camp intern in 2003. He rose up the ranks of the scouting department, eventually serving as director of college scouting from 2016-17. Sullivan had a penchant for hitting on Day 3 picks with the Packers, demonstrated by the drafting of impact players like Blake Martinez, Dean Lowry, Aaron Jones, and Jamaal Williams.
Sullivan’s next role was as co-director of player personnel from 2018-21 before being promoted to his current title in 2022. Sullivan’s success has drawn him plenty of general manager interest around the league. He has been considered for every general manager opening in this year’s hiring cycle, interviewing with the Titans, the Raiders, and the Jets.
Cunningham was one of the initial names to be connected to the Jaguars’ job, along with former Titans general manager Jon Robinson and Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg. Cunningham started his front office career with the Ravens back in 2008 before joining the Eagles as their director of college scouting in 2017. He climbed the ranks to director of player personnel before taking an assistant general manager job with the Bears in 2022. He’s spent the past three seasons in Chicago, though he’s flirted with promotions over the past two years. He was a finalist for the Commanders job last year, and he was interviewed for jobs with the Chargers last offseason and the Titans this cycle.
Though Waugh wasn’t included in the first round of interviews, he was mentioned as a strong candidate for the position on Thursday. Waugh had a lengthy tenure in the 49ers’ front office alongside the man these candidates are all striving to replace, former Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke. The pair worked together from 2005-16, and Waugh worked his way up to vice president of player personnel for the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. He joined Baalke in Jacksonville in May of 2022, taking on his current title. Despite the issues that led to Baalke’s dismissal, Waugh is nevertheless in contention for the job and will interview this week.
Jaguars Request GM Interviews With Four Executives
The Jaguars aren’t wasting any time finding a new general manager. Shortly after news broke of their interview request with Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg, we learned that the team requested interviews with four other executives. That grouping includes Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler), Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones), Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown (via Fowler), and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham (via TheMMQB’s Albert Breer).
[RELATED: Jaguars Request GM Interview With Buccaneers Exec Mike Greenberg]
Alexander was a long-time Ravens staffer, with the executive spending two decades with the organization. He worked his way up to assistant director of pro personnel, a gig he held for his final nine years in Baltimore. When all was said and done, he ended up earning a pair of Super Bowl rings during his stint with the organization. He’s most recently bounced around the league, including jobs working under Joe Douglas with the Jets and Joe Hortiz with the Chargers. Alexander was a finalist for the Raiders GM opening earlier this offseason.
Brandon Brown was also a finalist for that job in Las Vegas, and he interview for jobs with the Chargers and Panthers last offseason. The executive made a name for himself in Philadelphia, where he worked his way up from assistant director of pro scouting to director of player personnel. He took his talents to New York in 2022, where he’s spent the past three seasons working as the assistant general manager under Joe Schoen.
Trey Brown cut his teeth in the scouting ranks, spending time in the Patriots and Eagles front offices. After a three-year term as Philly’s director of college scouting, Brown spent a few years leading his own front office with the Birmingham Iron (AAF) and St. Louis BattleHawks (XFL). When those leagues folded, the executive took a scouting job with the Bengals, and he was promoted to a senior personnel executive role in 2022.
Cunningham started his front office career with the Ravens before joining the Eagles as their director of college scouting in 2017. He climbed the ranks to director of player personnel before taking an assistant GM job with the Bears in 2022. He’s spent the past three seasons in Chicago, although he’s flirted with promotions over the past two years. He was a finalist for the Commanders job last year, and he’s also been connected to jobs with the Chargers and Titans.
Cunningham was one of the initial names to be connected to the Jaguars job, along with former Titans GM Jon Robinson and Greenberg. While Liam Coen has a major say in who will run Jacksonville’s front office, Jones notes that the new GM will be considered the “primary football executive.” This means the eventual front office leader won’t answer to VP of Football Operations Tony Boselli, who the team officially hired earlier today.