Why Mike Shanahan Belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Most Denver Broncos fans, especially those of a certain age, perceive a slight from the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting committee. Marquee names like John Elway and Peyton Manning made their Hall-of-Fame resumes undeniable, but there are still plenty of deserving Broncos waiting their turn for Canton.

As the lengthy offseason marches on, NFL.com's Eric Edholm named each team's most deserving Hall-of-Fame candidate, landing on two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Shanahan for the Broncos.

"Rod Smith has some strong Broncos support as a so-far-snubbed HOF candidate, but with the logjam at receiver and few other Broncos candidates in the next few years, Shanahan has a slightly better chance. It’s not as if there isn’t a coaching backlog, as well. Heck, Bill Belichick didn’t make it in Year 1," Edholm wrote.

Coaches Backlog

Edholm also pointed to how other coaches, like Dan Reeves and Marty Schottenheimer, have seemingly fallen into the HOF abyss, which sounds more than a little foreboding for Shanahan's chances over the long haul. But Shanahan has two things those coaches do not: a pair of Super Bowl rings.

Belichick's first-ballot failure shows the difficulty elite coaches can face in gaining HOF recognition, and it has put every other worthy coaching candidate into a holding pattern. That being said, Shanahan's back-to-back World Championships and reputation as a revolutionary figure within the game should shout his worthiness when voting season rolls around.

Shanahan's Resume & NFL Influence

Former Denver Broncos head coach and Ring of Fame induction of Mike Shanahan during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It's hard to argue against the fact that Shanahan built a framework for the modern game that fans witness each and every NFL weekend, and his coaching tentacles stretch far and wide. The Shanahan effect is being felt from San Francisco to Los Angeles, from Denver to Las Vegas, from Green Bay to Minnesota, and beyond.

It's not just about Kyle Shanahan and the familial connection; one can also mention NFL heavyweights like Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur to make the case for Mike Shanahan. Throw in the Kubiak family for good measure, whose second generation of coaches has already begun making its mark on the NFL, with Klint Kubiak winning a Super Bowl as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator last season before accepting the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Klay Kubiak serving as offensive coordinator in San Francisco under Kyle.

The Takeaway

The evidence in favor of casting a bust for Mike Shanahan in Canton, OH, is overwhelming, but the mysterious world of the HOF voting etiquette never fails to throw a wrench directly in the Broncos' spokes.

That sad truth is evidenced by the continued snubbing of Smith, who went from the undrafted ranks to becoming a multi-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro, helping the Broncos win their back-to-back World Championships, and finishing as the club's all-time leading receiver with north of 11,000 career yards.

Shanahan and Smith aren't alone. Former All-Pros, like center Tom Nalen, defender Karl Mecklenburg, and cornerback Louis Wright, are deserving candidates who would already be enshrined in the HOF if they had collected their playing paychecks from the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Green Bay Packers.

On the bright side, over the past decade, we've seen an increasing number of Broncos elected, like Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, the late Pat Bowlen, Champ Bailey, Manning, and most recently, Randy Gradishar. If Broncos Country can continue to do its part at the grassroots level, there remains hope that all these deserving legends will eventually get their due from the Hall of Fame.

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