The Falcons have named a fifth candidate in the running for their open general manager position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Bradway has been requested to interview for the job in Atlanta.
Bradway joins Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Texans assistant GM James Liipfert, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams as candidates to replace Terry Fontenot as general manager. All five names came in over the past two days, hot on the heels of the team’s hiring of Kevin Stefanski to fill their open head coaching position.
Despite Bradway owning nearly 20 years of NFL front office experience, a move to Atlanta would match Bradway with only his third NFL franchise. Much like many others in the Chiefs’ building, Bradway’s only NFL ties are to Kansas City and Philadelphia. The son of former Jets general manager Terry Bradway, Mike began his NFL front office career with a 10-year stint with the Eagles. In 2018, Bradway reunited with several who made the move to Kansas City about six years prior, when head coach Andy Reid departed from Philadelphia and landed the same job with the Chiefs.
Bradway’s first role with the Chiefs in 2018 was assistant director of personnel. Two years later, he was promoted into a joint assistant director of player personnel role with current Bears GM Ryan Poles, who had already served a year in the position. In 2021, both got promotions with Bradway being named director of player personnel and Poles being named executive director. When Poles departed for Chicago, Bradway earned another title bump up to senior director, serving in that role for three seasons before finally landing in his current role.
With Bradway getting his first general manager interest in the league today, he advances one step closer to following in his father’s footsteps towards landing a full GM position. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Falcons will begin interviewing candidates tomorrow, starting with Liipfert and Weidl over Zoom and continuing with more virtual interviews throughout the week, likely with the intention to move to in-person interviews next week.