The Atlanta Falcons have named Ian Cunningham as their new general manager. Cunningham was introduced at a press conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where he appeared alongside president of football Matt Ryan.
Cunningham outlined his approach to building the team, saying, “Smart, tough, physical. We are going to build through the trenches. If you look at all of those teams (I have been a part of), that’s the philosophy. Draft, develop and retain. That’s going to be our philosophy here, too. You can’t have enough draft picks. We did that in Baltimore. You want to retain your own. So, that’s what we are going to do.”
Ryan discussed why Cunningham was selected for the role: “We were looking for somebody who was well-versed in terms of their experience, and has touched all of the different parts of scouting,” Ryan said. “That’s was something that was important for us because there’s a lot that falls under Ian’s control, so you want somebody who is comfortable, who understands each individual’s role in his department.”
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles commented on Cunningham’s move: “The Falcons gain one of the hardest-working, most genuine, and loyal teammates and leaders in our industry,” Poles said. “I am blessed and fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with Ian over the last four years, and I cherish the memories and first-hand perspective that I had as he positively influenced our entire organization.”
With Cunningham joining Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski as key decision-makers, attention now turns toward upcoming events such as the NFL Scouting Combine and free agency.
Meanwhile, several Falcons players were active during Super Bowl week in San Francisco for Pro Bowl Games and NFL Honors events. Running back Bijan Robinson participated in both athletic contests and media appearances.
Robinson shared his impressions after meeting new head coach Stefanski: “I am really excited about it. I talked to Kevin. Great human being,” Robinson said. “The cool thing is he has a plan already. You already know he’s (got) a vision of the team, a vision for what he wants.”
Other Falcons representatives included Chris Lindstrom at the Pro Bowl Games; A.J. Terrell attended as Walter Payton Man of the Year winner; rookies James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts were nominated for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The organization announced it will host its first Atlanta Falcons Girls Flag Football Week starting February 15 at IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch.
In recognition of Black History Month, KhaDarel Hodge visited Prairie View A&M University—his alma mater—to highlight historically black colleges’ impact on his life: “I came here lost,” Hodge said. “I didn’t really know what I was going to as far as my football career or academically so this is where I grew up, where I found who I was. I disciplined myself. So when I come back here it’s always smiles, good times. I get chills every time I walk on the field.”
The Atlanta Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia according to their official website. The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1965 and competes in the National Football League’s NFC South Division as noted by their official site. The club made Super Bowl appearances in 1998 and 2016 per official records, with Freddie the Falcon serving as mascot according to team information.