Matt Eberflus’ final action as the Bears’ HC was an apt microcosm of his tenure. Beaming with hope to turn a corner, but ending abruptly and inexplicably. The debacle at the end of the 20-23 loss to the Lions, where Eberflus didn’t call a timeout and allowed the clock to run out, was the final nail in his proverbial coffin. The Bears’ search for a successor has cropped up a plethora of names. As they seek to kickstart a new era in Chi-town, the front office is prepared to move a rung down the footballing ladder. Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman is reportedly on the wish list.

The Fighting Irish’s escapades this season have seen widespread plaudits come the way of figurehead Marcus Freeman. The plaudits transpiring into tangible NFL interest were inevitable. He fits the archetype of the coach franchises yearn for. He’s young, eloquent, and a leader of men. Colin Cowherd even said he’s akin to Sean McVay, albeit Freeman is a defensive guy. That’s high praise for someone in their first head coaching job. It’s all perhaps too good to be true, though.

Marcus Freeman has, at multiple junctures, reiterated his commitment to Notre Dame. Earlier in the week, he said, “About a week or two ago, they announced another long contract here at Notre Dame. So I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” pertaining to rumours of an NFL move. Tom Pelissero is reporting the Bears wish to interview Freeman.

It remains to be seen whether they get their wishes or not. Marcus Freeman is, by all accords, planning to continue his tenure down in South Bend. However, the tryst with plying your craft among the very best athletes the sport has to offer creates a conundrum. Freeman now stands on the precipice of this conundrum. Stick or twist?

To be fair, Freeman does have his hands full at this juncture. With the Natty beckoning for Notre Dame, his future will firmly be on the back burner. The timing of this couldn’t be much worse for the team, and it’ll be vital to block distractions. Looking past this, there’s one facet which will perhaps reassure Notre Dame that their coach will stay put beyond January 20th’s championship game.

Notre Dame’s proactive decision an ace up their sleeve to hold onto Marcus Freeman

 The gap between CFB and the NFL has unequivocally shrunk. This is especially evident in terms of finances. CFB coaches of the highest ilk are raking in more green than most of their big-league counterparts. As aforementioned, Marcus Freeman only recently signed a contract extension. He makes about $9 million annually now at Notre Dame. Contextualizing this makes it pretty conspicuous that moving to the NFL is not going to be a linear progression.

Only 7 out of 32 NFL coaches make more than Marcus Freeman. All 7 of these coaches have either been to multiple Super Bowls, i.e. Kyle Shanahan or won it. It’s a fair assumption that Freeman will need to take a hefty pay cut to move up the ranks. He’s built credit in the bank at this level but will have to prove his pedigree in the NFL. If Freeman does indeed want to make this perceived step up, he’ll have to take a step down on the financial front. Another CFB coach is traversing through the same dilemma.

All of this would be futile if the Bears could not even land an interview. Which is up to Freeman and the school’s decree. The signs point to him remaining at his disposition. Stranger things have happened, though. Other names in the fray for Chicago include Lions’ OC and fellow whiz-kid Ben Johnson, as well as Mike McCarthy. Who the Bears have also tried to interview but been thwarted by his employers. 2nd time lucky, maybe?