Why The Chicago Bears’ Silence On The Assitant GM Vacancy Is Getting Notable
Former assistant general manager Ian Cunningham spent four years with the Chicago Bears and accomplished the critical first milestone of a rebuild by making the playoffs. That success finally enabled him to secure his own GM position with the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears always knew it was coming. It was about when, not if. One would think GM Ryan Poles had a succession plan in mind for whenever it did happen. Well, it has now been 12 days, as of writing this, since Cunningham departed. There has been no announcement of a replacement.
One would think the Bears would be quick to get such a promotion out of the way if they already had a name in mind. Speculation has persisted that Jeff King, the senior director of player personnel, is the heavy favorite for the opening. However, the team has remained silent. That usually indicates no decision has been made, which suggests the choice of a new assistant GM is not nearly the formality some thought it was. There are two possible reasons for this being the case.
#1 – Poles may not have full authority to replace Ian Cunningham.
Put another way, this isn’t the same power structure from four years ago in 2022. Back then, Poles had unquestioned authority in the front office, free to do whatever they wanted. That has changed. He now shares power with Ben Johnson, and it’s possible the Bears’ head coach would prefer bringing in an outside voice. Somebody he is familiar with and would want representing his interests in the front office. People close to the situation in Halas Hall believe this is the discussion being had, which would explain the delay.
It isn’t uncommon for a head coach to bring an executive he trusts with him to a new team, though that is typically for the general manager job. This would be a case where Johnson wants somebody who knows his preferences and will maintain an unbiased opinion in evaluation meetings. It is similar to what he does with his coaching staff, often seeking outside voices who might see the game differently. It leads to productive dialogue and a better chance of making the right decision.
#2 – The Chicago Bears may not trust King with that spot
This possibility is a little more unlikely, but should be brought up. Despite his rapid rise in the Chicago Bears’ front office, it’s worth remembering that King’s background has mostly been as a pro scout. That means he was a key evaluator of potential free-agent or trade acquisitions. The Bears may wish to have someone with a stronger background evaluating college players in that assistant GM role. That is how Cunningham came up, serving as an area scout and director of college scouting, just like Poles. For a team that wants to build through the draft, having two college-oriented guys at the top feels logical. King didn’t start evaluating the college ranks until 2023.
Such inexperience could push the Bears to keep him where he is. As things stand, King remains the favorite to inherit the position. He’s highly thought of in the building. This comes down to whether Coach Johnson signs off on it or if he’s determined to bring in somebody he’s more familiar with. The longer the silence continues, the more it feels like the Bears could pivot. It would be shocking if we didn’t have an answer to this question before the NFL draft in April.