Former Bears Draft Pick Floated as Candidate for Coaching Job

The Chicago Bears are hoping that last week's firing of head coach Matt Eberflus will motivate the team to end the season on a high note. Eberflus' uninspiring 14-32 record behind the Bears' bench since 2022 was enough to force general manager Ryan Poles' hand, leading to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown taking over as interim coach for the rest of the year.

Even if Brown excels in his new role, a return in 2025 is far from guaranteed. The Bears will have plenty of options once the NFL offseason begins, meaning that the franchise's next head coach might not become evident until February.

Having said that, the rumor mill never stops churning and the latest report coming out of the Windy City indicates that the Bears might already have their eye on one potential candidate.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Linked to Bears Coaching Job

On Sunday, NFL insider Peter Schrager reported that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is one candidate to lead the Bears' bench next season.

"Another name that you haven't heard anywhere else (to coach the Bears) that I would keep your eye on: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman," Schrager said in the clip below. "Kevin Warren, former Big Ten commissioner, is also running the Bears as president. (He's) familiar with the college game."

"They're looking for a 'leader of men' type coach. Marcus Freeman is a name to watch early on in that process."

Shortly after Schrager's report, Jonathan Jones of CBS added that Freeman will likely draw plenty of interest during the next NFL coaching cycle with the Bears expected to be in the mix.

The Bears are more than familiar with Freeman, who was drafted 154th overall by the franchise back in 2009. The Ohio native failed to find his footing at the NFL level, though, and eventually retired from playing in 2010 due to a heart condition.

While having one's NFL dreams taken away as a player can be tough, Freeman has managed to carve out a football career for himself as a college coach. The former two-time All-Big Ten defender has spent time as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for various programs since his retirement and was eventually named Notre Dame's head coach in 2021.

Since taking over behind the bench, Freeman has guided the Fighting Irish to a 30-9 record and two bowl victories. His stock is continuing to rise now that Notre Dame is the nation's No. 4-ranked program with an 11-1 record, putting the program in a spot to make some noise when the College Football Playoff begins in less than three weeks.

It's clear that Notre Dame players love playing under Freeman, especially as he's done a terrific job of helping his roster reach its full potential. His success with the program can't be understated and it'd be amazing if he could have the same impact on the Bears.

Bears Rumors: Is Hiring Marcus Freeman a Good Idea?

At the same time, hiring Freeman could potentially be a disaster in Chicago.

After all, the 38-year-old candidate has yet to coach at any level in the NFL, which is a different beast compared to college football. Names like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Chip Kelly are three coaches who dominated the NCAA only to fail behind an NFL bench, so it isn't far-fetched to be worried that Freeman could be the next name in that trend.

Developing collegiate players is also a different beast compared to professional player development. While Freeman might be the right guy to help develop players in the 18-22 bracket, he might struggle to get through to NFL players who've already spent time in the league.

At the end of the day, it's good to know that the Bears are at least looking outside of the box for the next head coach, whether that's Freeman or not. The league is changing with each passing year and coach-hungry teams should consider as many options as possible rather than pigeonholing themselves in one direction.

Fortunately, the Bears still have plenty of time to consider various coaching candidates, whether they go with Freeman or not. The NFL offseason doesn't begin for another month and more HC options could become available once the post-season firings begin.

For now, the Bears will focus on Brown's debut against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14. Chicago is currently heading into that matchup as the 3.5-point underdogs in a game with a projected total of 44.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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