The Chicago Bears are digging deeper into the college head coach market than they ever have during this cycle. They were already meeting with Iowa State standout Matt Campbell. Now, they’ve requested a chance to do the same with Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame. He is the more interesting of the two because he’s both a former Bears draft pick and also has his team one win away from a national championship. The belief is this move is spearheaded by team president Kevin Warren, who is said to be smitten with Freeman.

Hence, the obvious question must be raised. Is this really possible? The Bears haven’t hired a head coach straight out of college in 95 years. This would be an unprecedented move. Adam Schefter was asked about Freeman’s situation on The Pat McAfee Show. From what he understands, the 39-year-old head coach is happy at Notre Dame and not inclined to go anywhere else.

Marcus Freeman looks like he’s where he belongs.

He’s been a college guy for almost his entire adult life. He spent one year in the NFL, bouncing around practice squads before retiring to pursue a coaching career. Notre Dame just signed him a contract extension, paying him $10 million per year. He’s leading one of the most prestigious programs in college football. There really isn’t much incentive to pursue a job in the pros outside of more money. While the Bears might be willing to go higher than what he’s making now, there just isn’t enough to sway Freeman unless he’s dead set on reaching the NFL.

He’d likely require a lot of money and power. That means a significant say on the personnel front, something the Bears never allow with their head coaches. They tried it once with Dave Wannstedt and that didn’t last long. This feels like an organization testing the waters to see if they can lure a guy they respect to their building. There is no harm in asking. Still, it appears as if that road is a dead end.

The draft is three weeks away now. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have pieced together an off-season that is earning widespread praise across the league. The question is whether they can stick the landing with their 1st round pick in the draft. Current projections have the top three picks likely being a mix of Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. After that, it gets tricky. People in Chicago want to know where running back Ashton Jeanty will end once the dust settles.

Widespread belief has been that the Las Vegas Raiders are the heavy favorites to take him at 6th overall, with New Orleans at #9 also being a possibility. It makes sense. Las Vegas’ best option right now is a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. New Orleans knows Alvin Kamara turns 30 in July. Both teams need to think about the future at that position. Both have head coaches who like to run the ball. One thing is clear. A source told SM that those around the league believe one thing is certain.

“He likely won’t get passed Chicago if he falls that far.”

Ashton Jeanty is a strong probability for the Bears.

Whispers from Halas Hall indicate they love the Boise State star. It isn’t hard to see why. He nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in 2024, nearly winning the Heisman in the process. The guy carried his team to the college football playoffs. He’s built like a brick house with power, speed, contact balance, and vision. There aren’t any truly glaring weaknesses in his game. He’s earned comparisons to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch. The Bears haven’t had a back of that caliber since Matt Forte.

Try to imagine what this offense could look like with Ashton Jeanty, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet all as options for quarterback Caleb Williams. Throw all of it into Johnson’s offense, and you can understand why some people around the league aren’t wild about the idea. They are quietly hoping Jeanty goes somewhere else. One thing is certain. If he gets past the Raiders, the noise will get loud in a hurry. It would mark the first time in 20 years the Bears have taken a running back in the 1st round.