The Chicago Bears' decision to make organizational history by firing Matt Eberflus after a disastrous Thanksgiving loss in Detroit (marking the first time Chicago has ever dismissed a head coach in-season) gave the organization an early head start on a head coaching search.
Team president Kevin Warren has spoken boldly about the attractiveness of the Bears' opening, describing it as one of the most desirable jobs in the league, although time will tell how seriously candidates take Chicago's sales pitch.
While any candidates currently in the NFL can't be interviewed for the vacancy, Chicago (along with New Orleans and the New York Jets, who also fired their coaches in season) can explore candidates who aren't in the league. One candidate, who admittedly was a bit of a pipe dream, is already off of Chicago's list.
Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame extension takes him out of play for the Bears
There had been buzz from FOX Sports' Peter Schrager connecting Freeman to Chicago given Kevin Warren's college experience as the Big Ten commissioner and the organization's desire for a "leader of men". Freeman has ended any potential exploration of pro opportunities by agreeing to a contract extension with Notre Dame, NBC Sports' Nicole Auerbach reports.
NEWS: Notre Dame and football coach Marcus Freeman have agreed to a long-term extension that will make Freeman one of the highest-paid coaches in the country: https://t.co/WL6TCLRfPg
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 16, 2024
This lucrative extension takes Freeman off the board for the Bears, who also can no longer consider Bill Belichick after the future Hall of Famer headed to North Carolina last week. There are plenty of traditional candidates who could make sense for Chicago, including Commanders' offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Caleb Williams at USC, and Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
The idea of Freeman was an outside the box one posited by Schrager and could have been worth exploring given the success of Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles. Harbaugh did have previous NFL experience, however, something that Freeman does not at this juncture.