There were plenty of unhappy Chicago Bears fans when they heard they would not be getting any draft picks from the Atlanta Falcons, who hired their former assistant general manager, Ian Cunningham, to the GM role.
When Cunningham was hired, the NFL said the Bears wouldn't get their two third-round compensatory picks because Falcons president of football Matt Ryan was the main football decision maker. Since then, Ryan has said Cunningham is making all the decisions, prompting Bears fans to call foul on the NFL.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke with reporters at the NFL Combine when he was asked about Cunningham's hiring situation. Poles said the team has reached out to the NFL about it, but has not heard back, and he shared his subtle thoughts on it.
"No one called me personally from the league," Poles said. “If that’s the rule they have in place, it’s very clear what should happen.”
Ryan Poles makes it clear what he thinks
There is a ton of confusion about what the Bears should receive and what they will not get. It's clear that everyone believes Cunningham is the main decision maker, so why is the NFL holding back on giving them that pick?
This raises many questions about the Rooney Rule and whether it is set up correctly or if the rules are even clear. The league has done a better job of pushing for more diversity in NFL hiring, but it still has its issues.
Whether the NFL will change its ruling and give the Bears the picks is another discussion on its own. It's clear the Bears have earned those picks and should be getting them.
Read more: Mel Kiper picks the exact prospect Bears fans expected him to in his mock draft
The NFL has a lot to answer for with Cunningham's hiring, and the Bears hope to be on the right side of this situation with a couple of third-round picks to use in the NFL Draft in April.