One NFL team will not give up on convincing Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman to lead them

Not going to lie. This would be a fantastic hire for a team like the Chicago Bears. Heading into the latter third of the 2024 NFL regular-season, Chicago had been loosely tied to Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. He may have gotten a massive extension from Notre Dame, but a team like the Bears seem desperate for anyone great to lead them. This rumor is picking up steam once again.

Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network reported on Monday that the Bears still want to interview Freeman for their head-coaching vacancy. Up to this point, Freeman has showed no interest in leaving the college game behind for the pro one. Money could be in his favor in all this, but he has never been on an NFL staff before. Regardless, Freeman is a defensive-minded leader of men, perfect for Chicago.

Look. For as much as the Bears may want to speak to him, they are going to have to wait. Freeman has the biggest game of his life next week when he goes up against his alma mater of Ohio State for the College Football Playoff National Championship. Not since Freeman was a little guy have the Irish won a national championship on the college football gridiron. I think he has to avoid being distracted.

On the contrary, can the Bears afford to drag their feet when it comes to replacing Matt Eberflus?

The last thing the Bears need to do is to wait for all of the best candidates to be hired before they go all-in.

Chicago Bears are infatuated with hiring Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman

For as much as I think Freeman would be a franchise-altering coach for a moribund team like the Bears, timing is everything. Because Notre Dame has gone farther in the College Football Playoff than most people outside of South Bend even expected, Freeman may have played his way out of being a serious candidate to replace someone like Eberflus. The Bears have not had a head coach in months.

As for a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, one who remains stubbornly steadfast to a perennial playoff underperformer in Mike Tomlin, they would have a better chance of prying Freeman away from Notre Dame than the Bears. This is because the Steelers are a far better run franchise. Plus, they have not been without a full-time head coach since the end of last season. They would hold all the cards.

What I am getting at is the Bears do not have the luxury to wait another week before even speaking to Freeman about their head-coaching position. The only way this is going to work is if the Bears are confident that they can hire someone off a serious Super Bowl contender's staff like the Detroit Lions or the Kansas City Chiefs should they strike out on Freeman. Chicago is playing a dangerous game.

If Freeman is the right guy for them, so be it. However, waiting too long may ruin the Bears even more.