Former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters again this year. Shanahan was overlooked in favor of late Detroit Lions coach Buddy Parker, who is a finalist for the 2024 Hall of Fame class in the coach/contributor category.
Broncos current coach Sean Payton has made it clear that he believes Shanahan should already be in the Hall of Fame. After practice earlier this week, Payton was asked if he uses any elements of Shanahan’s scheme in his own offense.
“Absolutely we do,” Payton said on Aug. 14. “We stole a number of things that we pretend we invented. He just did so many different things that helped the quarterback play better. John [Elway] would know certainly with his relationship. Mike always valued the running game. Years later, the [offensive] line coach who is no longer with us — Alex Gibbs — we brought him to New Orleans.
“He was a guy we brought in for the season, and he’d come in every month and then in the postseason. For two years, he was with us, working on the wide zone, the running game, protections, and boots. I think he [Shanahan] had a good staff, as well. I think he had a keen eye on what he was looking for in teachers, and he knew personnel. He knew what he wanted to get out of each player. The career he had is unbelievable.”
Shanahan won two Super Bowls as a head coach with the Broncos after previously winning a title as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. Shanahan is long overdue for the Hall of Fame, as is testified by elements of his offense still being seen across the NFL today.
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