Bears Denied Compensatory Draft Picks: Loophole in NFL's Rooney Rule

0:00On March 9th, here's the latest surrounding the NFL. The Chicago Bears have been denied compensatory, third-round draft picks for losing assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to the Atlanta Falcons. Under the Rooney rule, teams should get those picks when they lose a minority executive to a top personnel role elsewhere. The NFL made it official this week, leaving the Bears empty-handed for both this year and next. The Falcons structured things by creating a president of football operations role for X Quarterback Matt Ryan, placing him technically above. Cunningham, both Ryan and Cunningham have made clear that Cunningham runs draft and free agency decisions. Still, the league ruled it doesn't qualify due to the new title. Fans, media and Bears insiders are fired up over the call, saying it creates a loophole and ignores the rules goal of boosting minority hires in, coaching and front office jobs. Many point out it undermines efforts to fix uneven hiring practices across the league. In Monday, the NFL handed out 33 compensatory picks to 15 teams.

1:04The Ravens, Eagles and Steelers each got four, while the 49ers scored three, and others like the Cowboys and Lions picked up two apiece. The Bears got zero, despite fitting what many see as the rules intent. Bears general manager Ryan Poles says the team has pushed back through official channels and expects to hear more soon. For now, it highlights ongoing debates about how the league applies these diversity rules in real situations, appreciation to our sponsor for backing this episode. Your favorite podcasts, music or sleep sounds coming from your pillow, no earbuds, no distractions, listen and relax, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.