As the coaching carousel spins relentlessly in college and pro football, all eyes have turned to Marcus Freeman—and one question hangs heavier than the rest: Will he leave Notre Dame for the NFL? What began as faint chatter has now become a storm of speculation. The stakes are big for Notre Dame.
Rising NFL Buzz Surrounding Marcus Freeman
Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman looks on before the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman looks on before the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
Freeman’s résumé demands attention. Since taking over in South Bend in 2021, he has steadily built Notre Dame into a contender with a national profile. Naturally, NFL circles have taken notice. Rumors now link him to multiple potential head-coaching opportunities at the next level—a leap few college coaches get the chance to take.
During recent media availability, Freeman fueled the suspense with a subtle but telling answer. When asked about the NFL speculation, he didn’t slam the door shut. Instead, he said he simply tries not to waste energy on an “uncertain future.” The statement sounded cautious on the surface, but beneath it was a message: the NFL is an option he hasn’t dismissed:
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, the Giants hold Freeman in high regard. They fired their head coach, Brian Daboll, just a few days ago.
“You know, the Notre Dame coach,” Schwartz said, via Giants Wire. “I saw we had a picture of him. I know there is some high regard for him in the Giants building.”
“I feel like it’s necessary, I do. A lot of times in things I say to the team, it may come out in terms of, a great example, is, ‘What’s the noise you’re putting in your head?’ Just because the noise in somebody else’s head is one thing, doesn’t mean it has to be your noise,” Freeman said, via One Foot Down. “And so, as I told them, I’m sure I’ve said before, like just because somebody else might be saying my name’s up for whatever job or being considered, that isn’t the noise that I’m going to put in my head or I need, that ain’t my noise.”
“To hear that the Bears have interest, it’s humbling. It’s the NFL. It’s also a reminder that with team success comes individual success,” Freeman said. “I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL. All my attention has just been getting this team prepared.”
While several high-profile college programs have been mentioned in connection with Freeman—such as Florida or Penn State—analysts widely agree that only two destinations could genuinely tempt him to leave Notre Dame:
Ohio State, his alma mater
A serious NFL head-coaching offer
This narrows the field dramatically and heightens the sense of looming change. Freeman isn’t looking to move just for movement, nor interested in lateral shifts. If he leaves, it will be for something transformative.
Freeman recently gave a pointed message to his players about blocking out speculation. He asked them, “What’s the noise you’re putting in your head?” and reminded them that outside narratives don’t have to become internal distractions.
It was motivational—but also revealing. Freeman is fully aware of the swirling rumors, and he is coaching his team while balancing his own future. The suspense lies not in the noise around him, but in the quiet calculation happening behind the scenes.
Freeman’s future now stands on a razor’s edge.
If he stays at Notre Dame, he continues building toward a championship, shaping his long-term legacy in South Bend with the full backing of the program.
If he leaves for the NFL, he takes on the ultimate coaching challenge—new pressures, new expectations and the opportunity to prove himself on football’s highest stage.
Both paths hold promise. Both carry risk. And both demand a decision sooner rather than later.
Despite the speculation, Freeman insists his focus remains on the season and his players. But insiders believe momentum is building behind the scenes. The question is no longer simply if the NFL will come calling, but what Freeman will do when it does.
In the high-stakes world of football coaching, timing is everything. And as the noise continues to grow, Marcus Freeman’s next move is poised to shape the futures of both Notre Dame—and potentially, an NFL franchise.
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