FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are in search of a new general manager after parting ways with Terry Fontenot following the 2025 season. A new-look leadership group — including Falcons President of Football Matt Ryan — is leading the hunt to find his successor with the assistance of ZRG Partners and Sportsology Group.

"We're looking for people that work well together," Ryan said of the search at his introductory press conference. "And that doesn't mean best friends. You've got to have a professional and really strong working relationship. And sometimes that comes with seeing things a little bit differently. But the best of the best find ways to get to common ground.

"As we go through both of these searches, both the head coach and the GM, as we're going along that lane at the same time, that's what we're looking for. We're looking to find two people that we feel like are excellent in their role and what they're asked to do but also can provide a really strong working relationship together."

On Jan. 17, the Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. With the two-time coach of the year in the building, Atlanta turns its attention fully to the search for a general manager.

The Falcons will announce these interviews after they are completed with each candidate. We'll provide those updates here, along with relevant information and background about each candidate.

The NFL has specific rules for how and when teams can conduct these interviews. They are outlined here.

The Falcons have officially completed an interview with Ian Cunningham for general manager.

Interview date: Friday, Jan. 23

Current role: Cunningham has been the Chicago Bears' assistant general manager since 2022.

Resume highlights:

• Cunningham has 18 years of NFL experience, the last four coming with the Bears. He was the first-ever assistant general manager in Chicago, joining the franchise with general manager Ryan Poles. The Bears won the NFC North in 2025, their first division title since 2018.
• Prior to his time with the Bears, Cunningham spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles, holding the role of director of college scouting (2017-18), assistant director of player personnel (2019-20) and director of player personnel (2021). The Eagles made the playoffs four times during Cunningham's tenure, including a Super Bowl victory in his first season.
• Cunningham's start in the league came with the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he spent nine seasons as player personnel assistant (2008-12) and area scout (2013-16). The Ravens went to the playoffs in each of those years, winning the Super Bowl in his last season.
• Cunningham was an offensive lineman for the University of Virginia, so he understands what it's like to be a collegiate athlete.

Local connection: The Falcons' former quarterback and new president of football, Matt Ryan, was college teammates with Poles, which could bode well for Cunningham. Poles blocked for Ryan as an offensive lineman at Boston College.

Cunningham was also one of the five candidates the Falcons interviewed for the new president of football position that ultimately went to Ryan.

Why he's a candidate: Cunningham has worked his way through the team ranks, accumulating experience essentially at each level in a front office apart from the very top. He has done so with teams that were successful, too, so he knows how a well-oiled machine operates. That perspective would be beneficial to the Falcons, considering they have not made the playoffs since 2017.

Better yet, Cunningham helped the Bears reach rather quick success with a new head coach in Ben Johnson and a young quarterback in Caleb Williams this season, which will be a similar situation for the Falcons in 2026. Chicago went 5-12 during Williams' rookie year before improving to 11-6 in his second season. Cunningham, in theory, could help build a roster around Penix, or whoever the quarterback is, and turn the productivity around. He watched — helped — Poles do it.