Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham and senior national scout Francis St. Paul have been invited to participate in the NFL's Front Office & General Manager Accelerator December 11-13 at the NFL meetings in Dallas.

"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity Ian and Francis will have in Dallas next week," said general manager Ryan Poles. "The NFL does a great job preparing rising stars in front offices around the league through this Accelerator program and I know they are both looking forward to participating."

This is the third time Cunningham has been offered to participate in the Accelerator, while St. Paul has been invited for the first time.

This Accelerator is the fourth time the league has put on the event since it was launched in 2022 and follows the Coach Accelerator that was held May 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a refresh to the selection process, Clubs were asked to nominate individuals internal and external to their organizations, which were then vetted by an NFL selection committee.

Forty-two highly qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds, across player personnel, football operations and assistant general manager disciplines were selected for the opportunity to build relationships with club owners and executives ahead of the hiring cycle.

In addition to networking, candidates will participate in a range of personal and professional development programming, including practice interviews led by former general managers and leadership sessions from outside experts. For the first time, personal development workshops, have been included to focus on candidates overall wellness and mental preparedness when applying for roles.