Newsstand: Insider names Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman a head coaching candidate for this NFL team

Another reporter has mentioned Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman as an NFL coaching candidate. During NFL insider Jonathan Jones’ “Eye on the NFL” segment on CBS Sports on Sunday, he named Freeman as a fit for the Chicago Bears head coaching vacancy.

“Sources tell me, the Bears, they’re going to be targeting a leader-of-men-type head coach,” Jones said. “Offense, defensive background doesn’t matter as much as who can lead a group of men. Like a Mike Tomlin, like a Dan Campbell. Some coaches that fit that mold: Mike Vrabel, Aaron Glenn, Brian Flores, Bill Belichick and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who was drafted by the Bears in 2009 and is going to be drawing some NFL interest this cycle.”

Jones’ report comes less than two weeks after NFL Network and ESPN insiders acknowledged Freeman as an NFL coaching candidate. On Nov. 21, Freeman said he had “no clue” of whether he would like to coach in the NFL.

“I don’t even know what that entails really right now because I’ve never done it,” Freeman told reporters. “But I’m just focused on staying here in the present and getting this team ready to have a great Thursday practice and hopefully putting in the work to achieve the outcome that we want on Saturday.”

In Year 3 of his Notre Dame tenure, his first job as a head coach, Freeman has the Irish in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff with the opportunity to host a first-round game. He has a 30-9 record as a head coach.

Notre Dame Posts of the Day

Matt Leinart is a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from USC.

I also think ND is going to be a really tough out. Will host a home game in snow (probably). Can run the hell out the ball and play great defense. The worry is if they get behind enough where they’ll have to throw to get back into it. But still a solid team.

— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) December 1, 2024

Irish graduate student safety Xavier Watts has been exceptional against USC.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts vs. USC the last three years…

25 total tackles
3 PBU
3 INT (1 TD)
161 INT return yards
1 forced fumble
1 fumble recovery (TD)

Safe to say the Trojans will be happy to see Watts move to the NFL. He absolutely terrorized them. Nightmarish stuff. pic.twitter.com/dqw01CVp0b

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 1, 2024

The Irish keep winning despite the injury bug hitting them this season.

By the end of yesterday’s game, Notre Dame did not have available:

– Jeremiyah Love
– Howard Cross III
– Benjamin Morrison
– Boubacar Traore
– Jordan Botelho
– Ashton Craig
– Charles Jagusah

And the Irish still beat USC by 14 points to finish the regular season 11-1. pic.twitter.com/655Doe3K7V

— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) December 1, 2024

Notre Dame Quote of the Weekend

“That doesn’t matter to me. The statement we made was we won our rivalary game against a dang good football team. And that’s the only statement I want it to make.”

— Freeman on the statement Notre Dame made for the College Football Playoff committee by beating USC.