Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden is on the heels of an NFL job after the Fighting Irish lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday.

After losing in the CFP final, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's defensive coordinator has his sights set on the NFL, and one team is already interested.

Al Golden has emerged as a key name in the NFL coaching rumor mill after a strong stint as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, sparking interest from the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals will be closely watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship for one key reason. This past season, the Bengals had a special year, though not a good year. Quarterback Joe Burrow played at an MVP level while Ja'Marr Chase was the NFL 's leading receiver.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator job has been open for more than two weeks now, but there hasn't been much movement on a possible hiring and now we know why: The team was waiting for Notre Dame to finish its season.

Despite suffering significant injuries on the defensive line throughout the season and postseason, and losing expected first-round pick, cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury against Stanford, Golden's defense has been one of the best units in the country in 2024.

ATLANTA -- Al Golden orchestrated a Notre Dame defense that ranked top 10 nationally across myriad categories and spurred the Fighting Irish's run to Monday night's College Football Playoff Championship.