Well, shortly after the Irish lost to Ohio State, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Golden is a “top candidate” for the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator position, as they waited out for Notre Dame season to end.

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. Along the way,

Cincinnati Bengals fans will have an important purpose for watching tonight's College Football Playoff National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame. Yes, many fans have allegiances to either program and will already be watching with intensity this evening,

Former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is the other. The Notre Dame defensive coordinator is preparing for Monday night's National Championship Game against Ohio State. That's a big reason why the Bengals' search felt like it came to a halt earlier this week.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden responds to NFL rumors ahead of the CFP National Championship showdown against Ohio State. Could he be leaving South Bend for a return to the Bengals?

That’s the best answer he could give, though it's not exactly a denial of interest in the Bengals. The Bengals were one of the worst teams in the NFL on that side of the ball an