Cleveland Browns had internal discussions about Marcus Freeman as future head coach

In five years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, head coach Marcus Freeman has built the program back up to national championship-contention, amassing an overall record of 43-12 and a championship appearance during that time.

And with such success, Freeman's name has drawn eyes from other high-profile collegiate programs across the country and professional organizations.

On Saturday, Jan. 3, news broke that the Cleveland Browns were one of four NFL teams that had internal conversations about Freeman. However, all of those discussions immediately came to a rest just as quickly as they started, as the talented 39-year-old signed a one-year extension to remain in South Bend.

“One of my main obligations and responsibilities to this university is to make sure Marcus wakes up every day knowing that he is supported and valued by Notre Dame. And I can say with 100% certainty he feels that way, and Notre Dame is totally aligned around the importance of college football for Notre Dame,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said. “We’re totally aligned on how he is the perfect coach for Notre Dame.”

So for now, it seems Freeman locked in to being the leader for Notre Dame.

If 2026 is the final campaign with the Fighting Irish for Freeman, many organizations will start chomping at the bit again to get their hands on him.

The Giants, Titans and Browns all had internal discussions about Marcus Freeman before he announced his return to Notre Dame, as did the Steelers (in the event Mike Tomlin decided to step away).https://t.co/umvZZLtXPd pic.twitter.com/IAB9gRrL8e
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 3, 2026

The Cleveland Browns showing interest really comes as no surprise, not at all. They've struggled throughout the 2025 NFL season, winning a measly four games heading into the season finale on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Plenty of the frustrations with the team have stemmed from personnel decisions, especially with the coaching staff's decisions on the quarterback position throughout the year, and general play-calling, with head coach Kevin Stefanski sitting on the hot seat.

As the year has slowly progressed, Stefanski's time in Cleveland has looked bleaker and bleaker. A recent report, which previewed the news that the front office had talked about the possibility of bringing in Freeman, stated that the Browns are also contemplating what the future of the two-time Coach of the Year looks like.

Stefanski's coming off back-to-back low-win seasons, and while he's been dealt a bad hand, something has to change in hopes of returning to winning ways.

Freeman would have been an immediate fix to the many issues that Cleveland has suffered, but that timeline of snagging an NFL job is going to be backed up a few seasons.

For now, the Browns are either going to have to ride out Stefanski into the 2026 campaign, or roll the dice and hope a big-name hits the market and can turn the ship around.