Before Ian Cunningham was formally announced as the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager, the franchise also created a new position. Former quarterback Matt Ryan became ‘President of Football Operations’, placed above Cunningham on the org chart, and reporting directly to owner Arthur Blank. That title is the reason the Chicago Bears will enter the 2026 Draft without the two third-round compensatory picks, which they argued they were owed. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reviewed the org chart, and that was enough.
On April 3, the league closed it officially. “The matter is now closed following the club’s appeal,” the league said in a statement shared by insider Ian Rapoport. “The NFL informed the Bears today they will not receive compensatory picks.”
But Greg Gabriel, the Bears’ former director of college scouting, wasn’t on board with the league’s decision. Instead, he’s pushing Chicago to pursue legal action.
“IMO after the Bears were denied the comp picks, they should sue the NFL,” Gabriel wrote on X.
And Gabriel’s not alone; the ruling landed badly across the league.
“Whether you are a fan of the Bears or not, this decision really doesn’t make sense,” wrote WGNTV’s Marcus Leshock on X. “What a joke,” added PFSN’s Jacob Infante. On social media, the fans went even further, with one writing: “This will effectively end the Rooney Rule. Teams will do exactly what the Falcons did.”
But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio offered the bluntest take of them all.
“This is one of the most ridiculous unforced errors I’ve ever seen the NFL commit,” Florio said. “Why would you not just give the Bears the compensatory picks? If they had, who would have complained about it?”
IMO after the Bears were denied the comp picks, they should sue the NFL
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) April 3, 2026
All that anger is grounded in something specific. Under the Resolution JC-2A, which came through the NFL owners in 2020, teams are entitled to two third-round picks across consecutive drafts when an executive leaves to become a head coach or general manager elsewhere. Cunningham was hired as Atlanta’s GM, and Chicago’s case looked straightforward. But Ryan’s new title let the league define Cunningham as something less. And the problem is, Ryan himself stated otherwise in February.
“Ian is in charge of that space,” Ryan said. “I’m looking forward to learning about this. I said it the other day in Ian’s presser. I’ve never sat in a draft room, and so Monday is going to be the first time I’m sitting in a draft meeting, and I’ve got a lot to learn. Sitting, observing, being a fly on the wall. If there is something that Ian has a question about or something that I can help with, I’m all ears, and I’m happy to share my opinion, but Ian is driving this boat, and he is the one leading us moving forward.”
So the league had Ryan’s own quotes and still ruled against Chicago. The Bears did make one last push, though. Owner George McCaskey, president Kevin Warren, and GM Ryan Poles all flew to NFL headquarters in New York to argue their case directly to Roger Goodell. McCaskey later laid out what Chicago had done:
“We did what the league wants every member club to do,” McCaskey said. “We identified diverse talent, we recruited him, we created a position for him. … We allowed him to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes. We gave him supervisory duties. We gave him training. We made him ready to be a general manager in the NFL, and he’s getting his opportunity, and we’re thrilled for him.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel hadn’t arrived at “sue” impulsively. He has spent months tracking the com pick situation publicly, sharing every update. He saw Poles appeal, he saw the Bears make their case in person to the Commissioner. When he landed on legal action, every other route had already been exhausted.
“At the end of the day, you should want to develop your staff regardless of the color of their skin,” Ryan Poles addressed it at the Combine. “I think that’s important. We take a lot of pride with the Bears on how we are set up, and I take a lot of pride in that. To be compensated for that’s a little strange. I saw the Chiefs get a pick because of me, and then I watched that player go and play.”
When Poles left the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and became Chicago’s GM, KC received compensatory picks. While he challenged the necessity of the rule, he appealed for the Bears anyway. But the league rejected it without engaging either of his arguments on the merits. It was the same when Cunningham himself defended the Bears’ right to comp picks.
“I’m the general manager. I was hired,” Cunningham had said. “I would think that they would get two third-round picks. That’s just my perspective. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it weren’t for them giving me that job and helping me grow to get this job.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank had also added that Ryan wouldn’t interfere with Cunningham’s work. But the league wasn’t evaluating intent or admissions. For Roger Goodell and Co., Ryan’s title sealed the deal.
What the ruling actually created is a blueprint. Any franchise that wants to poach a minority executive now knows the workaround: create a title above him, put a former player or figurehead in it, hand the actual work to your new hire, and the team that built him walks away with nothing. Unless Chicago takes Gabriel’s advice to sue, this fight is over. But Goodell isn’t done with Chicago yet.
The stadium saga needs an answer
The Bears have been trying to build a new stadium since 2021. They own 326 acres in Arlington Heights (the former Arlington International Racecourse site). They are also weighing a 340-acre plot in Hammond, Indiana, where state legislation has already moved to give the franchise tax benefits. But they aren’t any closer to finalizing a deal.
Speaking at the NFL owners’ meeting in Phoenix, Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren called both locations “excellent sites” and shared a possible timeline for a decision.
“We have been working on our stadium and feel very strongly that we are making progress,” Warren said. “We are in an excellent position. The target is to make sure that we have a decision made by… late spring, early summer.”
But at the same meeting, Roger Goodell added some pressure on Chicago to get this sorted soon.
“It’s really important that they come to a resolution and it’s relatively soon,” Goodell said. “It’s important. I’ve spoken to officials in Illinois. This is an important time to get this resolved sooner rather than later.”
Goodell was also specific about what he’s ruling out. Soldier Field has been the home for the Bears since 1971, but it hasn’t kept up with the times.
“They are still playing in Soldier Field, which has got a lot of great tradition,” Goodell said. “But as fast as advancements in technology and advancements in the quality of the stadium for the fan experience, I would say it’s not at the top of the list.”
The stadium pressure is fair. Illinois lawmakers are in session through May 31 to finalize their stance on the Bears. Indiana, meanwhile, has already passed legislation (Senate Bill 27) to help the franchise finance its stadium. Chicago has two workable options and a closing window on both.
What’s hard to ignore is the gap in how the league handles Chicago depending on the issue. On the comp picks, they’ve been technical, final, and had no real engagement with the appeal. On the stadium front, they are patient, involved, and Roger Goodell is even making phone calls for them. Still, on both fronts, it’s Chicago that’s left waiting.
