It wasn't exactly earth-shattering when Marcus Freeman announced he'd return to Notre Dame in 2026, passing up the chance to be the New York Giants' next head coach.
Maybe he wanted to make up for that petty postseason opt-out after missing the College Football Playoff, or maybe he just likes his life in South Bend, Indiana. Either way, he's running it back with the Fighting Irish, who'll look to get back into the CFP bracket next season.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old wasn't No. 1 on the Giants' list of candidates or anything like that and wasn't any further ahead in the candidacy process than anyone else, yet it was still a blow to a search that hasn't even fully gotten underway. That was pretty understandable to just about everyone... except for Colin Cowherd, because playing contrarian is his bit.
In an effort to keep up with his media schtick, the opinionated host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd gave the most outrageous reason for why Freeman decided to forego the Giants' head coaching vacancy. He blamed Jaxson Dart being the quarterback and not Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, a hill he's apparently willing to die on... or at least milk for some clicks.
Colin Cowherd blames Jaxson Dart for Marcus Freeman staying at Notre Dame
Before diving more into Big Blue's coaching search with NFL insider Dianna Russini, Cowherd came in hot taking a shot at Dart and pointing to Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the real reason Freeman stayed in college:
"Now that the Giants can't get Fernando Mendoza, Freeman looks at that, and goes, 'Jaxson Dart's three and eight, I like Notre Dame, I'm staying in college.' That's the cynical me. Why the timing today that he's staying at Notre Dame?"
With Marcus Freeman staying at Notre Dame, who should the Giants target as their next head coach?@colincowherd and @DMRussini discuss where the Giants go from here pic.twitter.com/RSkhiH7GmB
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 29, 2025
It’s true the G-Men no longer control the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft after their 34-10 Week 17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but Cowherd's ongoing bit that they would’ve drafted Indiana’s quarterback first overall and traded Dart is just one big, ridiculous eye roll.
Giants fans would riot in the streets if the team traded away their 22-year-old rookie signal-caller for an unproven rookie who'd likely be selected after Dart had they been in the same class.
With a depleted roster, brutal schedule, and terrible coaching situation, he's put together -- by all accounts -- an overwhelmingly impressive rookie season.
Marcus Freeman is out of the running to be Big Blue's next head coach. It has absolutely nothing to do with Jaxson Dart or Fernando Mendoza. Give it some time. This take will age like milk. Here is Colin Cowherd saying LeBron James can retire because Ben Simmons is going to take over the NBA (fast forward to 3:20 for a wild time).
This is what he does. It's just who he is.