From the start, Chip Kelly felt like an odd choice to be the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll. There were sneaky signs of a strained relationship all along, and after a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Kelly was rightfully fired.
Who ends up replacing Kelly in 2026 will automatically be dictated, or at least should be dictated, by who the head coach is. If Carroll remains in place, for better or for worse, he should not have an offensive coordinator hoisted on him by anyone; it should be someone who he deems a fit.
The overall appeal of the Raiders' offensive coordinator gig can be debated back and forth. There are some good or interesting pieces in place, but until the quarterback situation is figured out and the offensive line is bolstered, none of that matters.
Lincoln Kennedy brings intriguing OC candidate to the forefront
Former Raiders offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy never lacks for thoughts about the current state of the team, and he brings the perspective of a former All-Pro player to any conversation. An outside-the-box thought is always in play when he speaks, too.
On a recent episode of the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast, Kennedy named an offensive coordinator candidate he'd like the team to pursue.
"I want us to go after David Shaw as offensive coordinator," Kennedy said. "David Shaw did a great job at Stanford. [He’s a] former Raider. He was a quarterbacks coach when I played with the team. I know what he could do with multiple tight end sets. I’ve seen him do it at Stanford."
Shaw, who played college football at Stanford under legendary coach Bill Walsh, is also best-known for his 12-season run as the head coach at Stanford from 2011-2022. After a three-year hiatus, he is currently in his first season as the Detroit Lions' passing game coordinator.
Early in his coaching career, he spent several years as an NFL assistant, including four seasons from 1998-2001 under Jon Gruden with the Oakland Raiders. He served as the offensive quality control coach for three years before becoming a quarterbacks coach in his final year.
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Kennedy added to his thoughts about Shaw by pointing to him as a potential good fit to be Carroll's offensive coordinator, should the veteran head coach still be employed by the franchise for the 2026 NFL season.
"He’s helping out in Detroit right now as assistant offensive coordinator. So I want David Shaw. I’m just throwing my bit out there, and I want this coach and staff," Kennedy said. " I want Pete Carroll to stay. I know that people are clamoring about having them out. I think he could build a program. I think he’ll want to respond by saying, ‘You know what? Last year was a disaster. Let me make up for it and see what I can do.’”
At the college or NFL level, Shaw has coached every skill position, and he has being an NFL quarterbacks coach on his résumé. He has never been an NFL offensive coordinator, but he was very successful as Stanford's offensive coordinator before he replaced Jim Harbaugh as head coach.
Where Shaw's career aspirations are right now is unclear. Years of speculation that he could leave Stanford for an NFL head coaching job are well in the rearview mirror now as well. He may very well be content to be a valuable veteran assistant who works mostly in the background.
But there's certainly a chance that he'd entertain being an offensive coordinator. Whoever the Raiders' head coach is in 2026 would do well to see if he's interested in coming back to the Silver and Black for one last chance as a big-time coach with a prominent role.