Back in November, we learnt that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was generating HC talk in NFL circles, and later reports suggested that Freeman could be a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ top spot. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Chicago wants to interview Freeman (video link).
Part of Freeman’s appeal is that he has led the Fighting Irish to the CFP National Championship Game, which will be held on January 20. As Pelissero points out, Freeman is unlikely to want to do an NFL interview before that game, but Chicago — which allegedly pushed hard for Mike Vrabel before he took the Patriots’ head coaching job on Sunday — might stall down the process if it genuinely wants a shot at Freeman.
Of course, it’s possible that Freeman doesn’t want to leave South Bend. He recently agreed to a four-year contract extension with Notre Dame, which will keep him there for another six seasons. It is unknown what the buyout arrangement on his Fighting Irish contract looks like, but it appears that the Bears are considering buying him out.
Freeman, 39, has been Notre Dame’s head coach since 2022, and he has guided the squad to an overall record of 33-8. The Bears selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft, although he never played in a regular-season game.
According to Pelissero, Chicago has conducted substantial research on Freeman over the last several months as part of its comprehensive search. Here’s how that hunt looks right now, according to our head-coaching tracker: