The Detroit Lions are bringing in former Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw to be the team’s new passing game coordinator, as first reported by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. Shaw took over the Stanford gig from Jim Harbaugh in 2011 and remained with the program through 2022.
Shaw immediately had success and landed the Stanford program in eight straight Bowl games, on top of the two that Harbaugh led the program to before his departure for the San Francisco 49ers job.
Yet, as NIL deals and the transfer portal began to take hold in college athletics, the Cardinal began to slip under Shaw’s leadership and has still yet to recover. In the final two years under Shaw, the Cardinal went 3-9 each season and finished a combined 3-15 in the Pac-12.
After taking a year completely off from coaching football, instead taking a job with NFL Network, Shaw made his way to the NFL as a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos, which is also where new Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton spent the 2024 season.
It’s also funny that former Lions OC Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, was interviewing Shaw for Chicago’s OC position, but Shaw is instead joining Johnson’s former team.
Shaw interviewed for the head coaching role with both the Bears and New Orleans Saints before landing with the Lions.
According to NFL.com, it’s looking as though “Shaw will replace Tanner Engstand, who served as Lions passing game coordinator in 2023 and 2024, but has emerged as the favorite for the Jets offensive coordinator job, per Pelissero.”
With Detroit holding a 27-7 record the past two regular seasons, it was fully expected that a run would be made on their coaching staff. Now the question will be whether the new additions to the staff can maintain the same level of excellence that Detroit has shown the past three seasons under Dan Campbell.
One Lions Lineman Must Be Kicked to the Curb Alongside Departing Coach
The Detroit Lions are dealing with significant changes on the coaching staff this offseason, having lost some of Dan Campbell’s most trusted voices after falling short against the Washington Commanders in the playoffs.
Some assistants are leaving to join Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn’s new respective staffs, while the Lions themselves made the choice to part ways with others.
Defensive line coach Terrell Williams left on his own accord to become the New England Patriots defensive coordinator under Mike Vrabel, though there’s one struggling Lion who needs to get sent to New England along with him. 2023 third-round DT Brodric Martin missed most of the year with an injury but has been ineffective when on the field. Given the upgrades Detroit needs along the line, Martin is a cut candidate going into the offseason.
Lions Need to Cut DT Brodric Martin This Offseason
Even when Martin was healthy, he couldn’t get playing time. He played just 16% of snaps in games he was active in during his rookie campaign, then narrowly improved to 21% this year. With all of the injuries the Lions suffered, this was Martin’s opportunity to prove he wasn’t a draft bust.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. He recorded just one tackle, grading 186th out of 219 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus. General manager Brad Holmes is a wizard in the draft, routinely finding excellent value in the early and middle rounds. That said, Martin seems to have been a failed selection.
There’s still time for Martin to turn things around. He’s got good size at six-foot-five and 311 pounds, yet the Lions don’t have the luxury of patience to wait for him to develop. Guys like Levi Onwuzurike and DJ Reader are demonstrably better right now and remain under contract. Detroit needs a long-term answer and could invest further in the draft, though Martin hasn’t inspired enough confidence to trust him at this point.
Perhaps a fresh start would be best for all parties. Going to a place like New England that’s staring down a rebuild makes sense, and Vrabel could be the coach who gets the best out of him.
Either way, it’s obvious that Martin’s future shouldn’t be in Detroit.
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