Where Does David Shaw Fit Best? Chicago? New Orleans? Somewhere Else?

David Shaw could be heading back to the sidelines sooner than we thought. After leading Stanford from 2011-2022, the Cardinal relieved Shaw of his duties after the '22 season following the team's second straight 3-9 finish.

After spending two seasons away from the sidelines, it looks like Shaw is starting to get some consideration for NFL head coaching jobs, even completing some interviews.

With the possibility of Shaw putting on a headset again and roaming the sidelines starting to grow, it is only right that we take a look at some of best possible fits for Shaw to resume his coaching career and which NFL franchise could see its good fortunes return if he were to land the job.

Here are three of the best spots for him.

Chicago Bears

One of the confirmed interviews that he completed was with the Chicago Bears, the team announced earlier this week.

After drafting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in 2024 and seeing the rookie star struggle in his first season, the Bears are in dire need of a coach who can develop the quarterback and turn him into what they know he can be.

Shaw, who is an offense-minded coach as he has served as an offensive coordinator and a quarterbacks coach during his career, could be the type of coach who can develop Williams and bring out the full potential of a Chicago offense that features Williams, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze.

New Orleans Saints

A team that was rumored to be considering interviewing Shaw, the New Orleans Saints, are another franchise that is nearing a full-scale rebuild.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr dealt with an injury riddled campaign, and nearing his age-34 season, it is unknown what his future will be with the Saints. It is very possible that quarterback will be a position of need for the franchise, and while star players like Alvin Kamara are still under contract, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the offense.

While over the years the Saints have been a relatively balanced squad, with dominant offenses paired with elite defenses, hiring Shaw could see the team put more emphasis into building a winning culture through a high octane offense while developing their quarterback of the future in the process.

Las Vegas Raiders

This one may be a longshot, with minority owner Tom Brady expected to be a heavy influence in the coaching search and eyeing guys like Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

However, Shaw's previous ties to the Raiders and his previous relationship with owner Mark Davis, being the team's quarterbacks coach in 2001 after serving as an offensive quality control coach the previous three years, could put Shaw on the radar.

Quarterback will be the biggest need for the Raiders this offseason, and bringing in Shaw to pair with a rookie could make some sense. But the Raiders recent luck of coaches, now looking for their fifth coach since 2021, could lead the team to go with a more experienced NFL prospect and someone who has more of a proven track record of NFL success.