Report: Entrance-runner for Jaguars’ GM place emerges
The 2025 GM carousel has spun for a number of weeks, however the Jaguars have been doing the one work right here for the previous few. Almost a month after firing Trent Baalke throughout their teaching search, the Jags are winding down their course of.
As second interviews have begun, one identify has jumped out. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham appears to be like to have emerged because the front-runner for this function, with Fox Sports activities’ Jordan Schultz going as far as to noticed that is his job to lose. In noting the Jaguars hope to have this place stuffed this weekend, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe mentions Cunningham as a candidate to observe down the stretch right here. This might not be too stunning, as his identify surfaced shortly after this job turned open. Cunningham’s second interview is prone to happen in the present day, per Schultz.
That is acquainted territory for Cunningham, who was the runner-up for the Commanders’ GM job that went to Adam Peters final 12 months. Cunningham is also a two-time finalist for the Titans’ GM put up, conducting second interviews with the crew in 2023 and ’25. A 2023 report additionally indicated Ryan Poles‘ prime lieutenant turned down the Cardinals’ GM job, one Monti Ossenfort took. Regardless of the Bears but to make the playoffs throughout the Poles-Cunningham regime, the latter is well-regarded across the league.
The Bears didn’t immediately embrace Cunningham within the search that produced Ben Johnson final month, as Poles talked about his AGM would have been part of the search committee had he not been within the working for the Tennessee job. The Titans employed the Chiefs’ Mike Borgonzi to work alongside Brian Callahan (and beneath soccer ops president Chad Brinker, successfully).
This Jags put up would include probably extra tasks, however Liam Coen is broadly considered as the highest energy dealer in Jacksonville post-Baalke. Coen commanded sufficient Jaguars curiosity that the crew fired Baalke after he had led the HC search, and the one-and-done Buccaneers OC is believed to have landed a Johnson-level contract from the AFC South membership. Johnson is incomes upper-crust teaching cash, at $13M per 12 months. New govt VP Tony Boselli could have a job within the post-Baalke entrance workplace as effectively. Whereas the Corridor of Fame deal with is just not believed to be above Coen or the GM, he’ll play a key half right here in being set to report back to possession.
If the Bears lose Cunningham, a candidate to observe will probably be tight end-turned-exec Jeff King. The crew’s senior director of participant personnel would seemingly be the person to succeed Cunningham to work with Poles and Johnson, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. A Ryan Tempo rent, King has been with the Bears all through his personnel profession, which started in 2015. By way of PFR’s Common Supervisor Search Tracker, right here is how their course of stands now that it’s within the finalist stage:
- Chad Alexander, assistant basic supervisor (Chargers): Interviewed 2/13
- Brandon Brown, assistant basic supervisor (Giants): Interviewed 2/13; sturdy contender?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel govt (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant basic supervisor (Bears): To conduct second interview 2/19
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): To conduct second interview
- Terrance Grey, vice chairman of participant personnel (Payments): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant basic supervisor (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant basic supervisor (Raiders): Interviewed 2/14
- Jon Robinson, former basic supervisor (Titans): One in all prime candidates?;
Interviewed 2/13 - Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice chairman of participant personnel (Packers): To conduct second interview
- Ethan Waugh, interim basic supervisor (Jaguars): Robust candidate?; To interview
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and soccer operations (49ers): Carried out second interview 2/19
