Chicago Bears To Interview Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman For Coaching Vacancy?

Freeman is also no stranger to the National Football League, after a four-year playing career as a linebacker at Ohio State University, he was selected on the fifth round of the 2009 to the, you guessed it, Chicago Bears. Freeman also had short stints with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before retiring in 2010 after doctors discovered an enlarged heart condition. As soon as Freeman’s playing career was over, he hit the ground running in coaching.

Freeman is also no stranger to Caleb Williams. The two met as opponents when Caleb Williams was at the University of Southern California. Williams famously cemented his Heisman campaign in the 2022 matchup defeating Freeman’s Irish. Freeman and his vaunted defense returned the favor in 2023 in South Bend, when Williams infamously had one of the worst football games of his life in primetime. 

“He’s a talented quarterback. We’ve faced some really good quarterbacks this season and he is one of the best. One of the best I’ve seen,” said Freeman in 2022 before facing Williams. “His arm strength is one thing. His decision-making is another, his ability to extend plays. And he’s one of the few guys I’ve seen continuously break tackles.”

Whether the two become a pairing remains to be seen, but the familiarity is there. Freeman is a young, proven culture builder who can relate to players, and he has a keen eye for talent. The Chicago Bears are right to do their due diligence and see where the chips fall after the meetings.