One of the new coaches brought into the Lions den by Dan Campbell this offseason is David Shaw. The 52-year-old Shaw is Detroit's new passing game coordinator under Campbell and new offensive coordinator John Morton.
Most fans know Shaw's name from his years as the head coach at Stanford. However, Campbell indicated that there's a lot more than just that experience that Shaw offers to Morton and the Lions offense. In an interview with FOX2's Dan Miller during the NFL Owner Meetings in Palm Beach, Campbell talked up Shaw's background and how he'll help the team.
"(Shaw) and Johnny (Morton) go way back," Campbell said. "Way back. They both really cut their teeth under Jon Gruden years ago. I don't know if everybody quite knows — coach Shaw has got a wealth of experience. You think of Stanford first ... but he came from this league. He's been in this league. He understands football. That's what he is, he's a football guy."
Campbell continued, spotlighting an area where Shaw's experience and connections with Morton will benefit the Lions in 2025.
"He's going to bring things to Johnny, like his blind spots. He's going to cover his blind spots. That's what he's going to be looking for."
Shaw and Morton were together on Gruden's staff with the Raiders from 1998-2001 as offensive assistants. The two also worked together in 2024 with the Denver Broncos, with Shaw as a senior assistant and Morton as the pass game coordinator under head coach Sean Payton. Of course, Payton is Campbell's own coaching mentor from their time together with the New Orleans Saints.
The concept of having checks and balances against blind spots or areas of weakness is a very strong one. It's one of the reasons these Lions have been so successful under Campbell, who empowers his assistants and doesn't feel threatened when questioned about his own blind spots or coaching weaknesses.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Dan Campbell explains why Lions hired David Shaw
