Now that the Notre Dame football season is officially over, it's not a surprise that rumors about Marcus Freeman heading to the NFL are heating up. Unfortunately, the rumors have heated up to the point where, among some oddsmakers, the Irish coach is the odds-on favorite to take over the New York Giants.
That Freeman might depart South Bend for East Rutherford is even starting to hit consensus status. One case in point is NFL insider Adam Schefter, who was asked if anyone could be the "Ben Johnson" type of hire that the Bears managed to snag last season.
"The only guy I can think of that would be in this category, and I don't know if he'd be interested, is Marcus Freeman..I would want him on the phone right now," Schefter said during an appearance on the This Is Football podcast.
Marcus Freeman to the New York Giants is gaining even more buzz
The caveat that Freeman might not be interested is the one hope that Notre Dame faithful are hanging onto. That it's more a question of whether Marcus would say yes than whether the Giants would offer is also near consensus.
There are plenty of reasons to turn the Giants down. Not the least of which is that the team's General Manager, Joe Schoen, is under fire. His contract is up in 2026, and it's unlikely that he'll be extended. New York is also a mess as they continue to try to find a way to put together an offense.
Some think that Freeman might look to jump ship precisely because he's hit the ceiling at Notre Dame. While the program is one of the best in the country, it can still be left out of the College Football Playoff. He might decide it's time to try another challenge.
What is clear is that if Freeman does entertain offers from NFL teams this winter, Notre Dame isn't going to let him go easily. Earlier this week, AD Pete Bevacqua made it clear that they will try to do everything in their power to keep their head coach in town.