Bear Digest

Titans like Ian Cunningham enough for yet another interview

Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham is among the candidates for the Titans GM job who have been asked back for another interview.

Gene Chamberlain

Ian Cunningham and Ryan Poles scout out the talent at a regional combine hosted by Northwestern.
Ian Cunningham and Ryan Poles scout out the talent at a regional combine hosted by Northwestern. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The good new for Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham is he is getting a second interview with the Tennessee Titans for their vacant GM position.

The bad news is their list of second interviews is almost as long as the Bears' list of interviews for their head coaching job.

According to NFL Network and ESPN, Cunningham is one of six candidates invited for a second interview.

Cunningham had interviewed for this job two years ago, as well. It came open after Ran Carthon was fired.

There is special interest in this process on the part of Bears fans. If Cunningham gets hired, the Bears would receive draft compensation in the form of two third-round picks as part of a 2020 addendum to the Rooney Rule. Teams losing a minority member of the coaching staff or front office get two third-round compensatory picks.

Those picks will come after all of the regular compensatory third-round picks awarded in the draft. Also, they come in successive years and not both in the same year.

The competitors who have been invited for a second interview besides Cunningham are Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek, Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Cunningham has been with the Bears as Poles’ assistant since shortly after Poles was hired in 2022.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.