Broncos have 4 candidates for 2025 Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have four candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, including two-time Super Bowl champion Neil Smith.

Former Denver Broncos coaches Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves were named semifinalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class earlier this week.

Shanahan and Reeves are two of nine candidates in the coach category. The selection committee will narrow that list of nine semifinalists down to one finalist later this month.

The Broncos also have two modern-era players who made the cutdown from 167 nominees down to 50 candidates last month: defensive linemen Neil Smith and Simeon Rice.

That gives Denver four total candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. DL Neil Smith
  4. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will meet on Nov. 19 to select one coach finalist. The list of modern-era player nominees will also be trimmed down to 25 semifinalists later this month. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Giants legend Tom Coughlin named semifinalist for Hall of Fame

Retired New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has been named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside three other ex-Giants.

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, who led Big Blue to two Super Bowl championships, is among nine semifinalists in the coaches’ category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

One of the nine candidates will be selected as a finalist for the Class of 2025 on November 19.

Other candidates who advanced on the list, which was cut down from 14 to nine on Thursday, include two other former Giant head coaches — Bill Arnsparger and Dan Reeves, and a former assistant Marty Schottenheimer.

Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, George Seifert, Chuck Knox, and Clark Shaughnessy round out the list.

Along with being a two-time Super Bowl champ, Coughlin was the first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, taking them to two AFC Championship Games. His overall NFL record is 182-157 over a span of 20 seasons.

Arnsparger coached the Giants from 1974-76, compiling a 7-28 record but made his name as a coordinator of the Miami Dolphins’ No-Name defense of the early 1970s. He passed away in 2015.

Reeves coached Big Blue from 1993-96, compiling a 31-33 record. He is noted for taking the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls and the Atlanta Falcons to another. He passed away in 2022.

Schottenheimer compiled a 205-139-1 record over 21 seasons as a head coach for Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Washington. He was a defensive assistant for the Giants in the mid-1970s where he developed Harry Carson and Brad Van Pelt into Pro Bowl linebackers.

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Mike Shanahan, Dan Reeves advance in Hall of Fame voting process

Mike Shanahan and the late Dan Reeves have been named semifinalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan is advancing as a coach candidate for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the Hall announced Thursday. Another former Denver Broncos coach, the late Dan Reeves, also advanced in the voting.

The list of coach 14 candidates has been trimmed down to nine semifinalists: Shanahan, Reeves, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Clark Shaughnessy.

Shanahan, 72, won his first Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers following the 1994 season. He later won back-to-back Super Bowls as head coach of the Broncos in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Elements of his offense are still seen across the NFL today.

Reeves died at age 77 in 2022. He reached two Super Bowls as a player with the Dallas Cowboys, winning his first title following the 1971 season. Reeves later reached three more Super Bowls as an assistant with the Cowboys, winning his second title after the 1977 season. He went on to reach four more Super Bowls as a head coach, including three with the Broncos.

Reeves’ nine total Super Bowl appearances represent the third-most in NFL history only behind Tom Brady (10) and Bill Belichick (12). Reeves should eventually reach Canton, and Shanahan seems to be trending toward a Hall of Fame nod in 2025.

Denver also has two modern-era player candidates for the 2025 class in defensive linemen Neil Smith and Simeon Rice.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. DL Neil Smith
  4. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will meet on Nov. 19 to select one finalist from the coach category to advance in the voting process. The list of modern-era player nominees will also be trimmed down to 25 semifinalists in November. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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How Brian Daboll compares to other Giants coaches after 42 games

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s record after 42 games isn’t much different than that of many of the team’s best coaches.

The New York Giants have begun the 2024 NFL season by losing six of their first eight games, which has become the norm in East Rutherford in recent years.

The Giants have started seven of their last eight seasons 2-6 (or worse) after eight games. The only exception was 2022 when they got off to a 6-1 start en route to a 9-8 season and a playoff berth.

Head coach Brian Daboll, since taking over the reins as head coach in 2022, is 17-24-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason.

There have been numerous conversations and articles suggesting that Daboll should be on the hot seat. But looking back a the history of the Giants, his record isn’t much different than that of his predecessors.

Daboll is the 10th man to coach 42 or more games for the Giants in their century-long existence and the seventh since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

Here’s where Daboll stands against those other six Giant head coaches after 42 games:

  1. Jim Fassel (23-18-1)
  2. Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves (23-19)
  3. Bill Parcells (19-22-1)
  4. Alex Webster (19-23)
  5. Brian Daboll (17-24-1)
  6. Ray Perkins (15-27)

So, Daboll is just two games worse than the great Hall of Famer Bill Parcells and ahead of Perkins, who is largely credited with helping to modernize the Giants under general manager George Young after decades of ineptitude.

Still want to fire Daboll? Or do you want to be a little more patient now that you know where he stands in team history?

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17 former Broncos players snubbed by Hall of Fame voters

Rod Smith is among 17 modern-era Broncos players who were snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters.

The Denver Broncos had 19 modern-era players nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class this year. Only two of them have advanced in the latest round of voting.

The original list of 167 nominees has been trimmed down to 50 candidates and former Broncos Neil Smith and Simeon Rice are among eight defensive linemen who made the cut, joined by John Abraham, Jared Allen, Robert Mathis, Haloti Ngata, Vince Wilfork and Kevin Williams.

Smith won back-to-back Super Bowls with Denver in the late 1990s. Rice won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later spent part of his final season in the NFL with the Broncos in 2007.

Among the Denver players who did not make the cut is two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Rod Smith. Instead, six other WRs advanced: Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Jimmy Smith, Steve Smith, Hines Ward and Reggie Wayne.

In addition to Smith and Rice, Mike Shanahan and the late Dan Reeves are also candidates for the Hall of Fame in the coach category.

Broncos who did not advance

  1. RB Clinton Portis
  2. RB Glyn Milburn
  3. RB Jamaal Charles
  4. WR Rod Smith
  5. WR Demaryius Thomas
  6. WR Brandon Marshall
  7. WR Wes Welker
  8. TE Vernon Davis
  9. C Tom Nalen
  10. G Mark Schlereth
  11. DL Jamal Williams
  12. DL Ted Washington
  13. LB Bill Romanowski
  14. LB Keith Brooking
  15. CB Aqib Talib
  16. CB Dré Bly
  17. K Jason Elam

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. DL Neil Smith
  4. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of modern-era nominees down to 25 semifinalists in about four weeks. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Broncos have 21 candidates for 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have 19 modern-era players and two coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Last week, Mike Shanahan and late former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves were named coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Broncos also have 19 modern-era candidates for the Hall of Fame. Denver had 11 senior candidates as well, but none of them advanced in the selection process.

With the modern-era candidates still to be trimmed down, the Broncos currently have 21 candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. WR Rod Smith
  4. C Tom Nalen
  5. K Jason Elam
  6. G Mark Schlereth
  7. LB Bill Romanowski
  8. DL Neil Smith
  9. WR Demaryius Thomas
  10. CB Aqib Talib
  11. WR Wes Welker
  12. RB Clinton Portis
  13. WR Brandon Marshall
  14. RB Glyn Milburn
  15. CB Dré Bly
  16. TE Vernon Davis
  17. DL Jamal Williams
  18. LB Keith Brooking
  19. RB Jamaal Charles
  20. DL Ted Washington
  21. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of modern-era nominees this month and announce semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Mike Shanahan, Dan Reeves among coach candidates for Hall of Fame

Mike Shanahan and late former Broncos coach Dan Reeves are among 12 coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Mike Shanahan and late former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves are among 12 coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Shanahan and Reeves are joined by Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Jeff Fisher, Alex Gibbs, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Richie Petitbon, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Clark Shaughnessy.

The selection committee will narrow the list of 12 candidates down to one finalist in the coming weeks.

Reeves, who died at age 77 in 2022, reached nine Super Bowls as a player and coach, representing the third-most in NFL history only behind Bill Belichick (12) and Tom Brady (10).

Shanahan, 72, won a Super Bowl as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and later won back-to-back Super Bowls as a head coach with the Broncos.

Denver had 11 senior candidates named earlier this year who did not advance in the voting. The Broncos still have 19 modern-era candidates for the 2025 class, with Shanahan and Reeves now added to the pool of candidates.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. WR Rod Smith
  4. C Tom Nalen
  5. K Jason Elam
  6. G Mark Schlereth
  7. LB Bill Romanowski
  8. DL Neil Smith
  9. WR Demaryius Thomas
  10. CB Aqib Talib
  11. WR Wes Welker
  12. RB Clinton Portis
  13. WR Brandon Marshall
  14. RB Glyn Milburn
  15. CB Dré Bly
  16. TE Vernon Davis
  17. DL Jamal Williams
  18. LB Keith Brooking
  19. RB Jamaal Charles
  20. DL Ted Washington
  21. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of modern-era nominees this month and announce semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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On this date: Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999

The Denver Broncos won their second Super Bowl in franchise history on this date (Jan. 31) in 1999.

On this date — January 31 — in 1999, the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons, 34-19.

This game was the swan song for Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who rode off into the sunset after the game as the contest’s MVP. Elway went 18-of-29 passing for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Elway also also ran for one touchdown, which has been immortalized in Super Bowl history.

In many ways, the 1998 team was the best in franchise history even until now. The Broncos went 14-2 in the regular season, which is still the franchise mark for wins in a season. Running back Terrell Davis became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season, not including the playoffs.

Kicker Jason Elam tied a then-NFL record with a 63-yard field goal during the regular season.

As a whole, Denver led in 52 of the 64 quarters in 1998. That continued into the Super Bowl, where the Broncos led from start to finish, dominating the Falcons and former head coach Dan Reeves en route to back-to-back championships.

The 25th anniversary of the 1998 team happened in 2023. Hopefully the memory of these Super Bowl teams resonates in the minds of these Denver players to look to future success.

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Sean Payton says Mike Shanahan should already be in the Hall of Fame

“I thought his five-year clock didn’t start [yet],” Sean Payton said of Mike Shanahan. “That’s what I thought the holdup was.”

Mike Shanahan has been overlooked by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters once again as Buddy Parker has been named the coach/contributor finalist for the 2024 class.

Late Broncos coach Dan Reeves, who reached nine Super Bowls as a coach and player, was also a semifinalist as a coach/contributor candidate. Sean Payton, Denver’s current coach, believes both Shanahan and Reeves deserve a spot in Canton, and he gave a big endorsement to Shanahan.

“I think I may be the most biased person only because I went to Eastern Illinois,” Payton said after Monday’s training camp practice. “I know Mike more. Dan had a fantastic career. They both have the credentials to be in the hall, [but] I’m not a voter.

“Mike is someone who has won two Super Bowls [as a head coach]. When you look at his numbers offensively and where he has been — San Francisco. The body of work for Mike is super impressive. I thought he wasn’t eligible because he was still helping his son. I thought his five-year clock didn’t start. That’s what I thought the holdup was.”

Elements of Shanahan’s offense are still seen across the NFL today, in part because his son, Kyle, serves as the 49ers’ head coach.

Shanahan and the family of Reeves will have to wait at least one more year to reach Canton, but Hall of Fame nods should arrive for both coaches eventually.

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Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan snubbed by Hall of Fame voters

Mike Shanahan was snubbed by Hall of Fame voters again. The family of late coach Dan Reeves will also have to wait at least one more year.

Following the enshrinement of Super Bowl 50 champion DeMarcus Ware in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2023 class earlier this month, the Denver Broncos will have to wait to see if they’ll have another enshrinee in 2024.

Former coach Mike Shanahan and late former coach Dan Reeves have been overlooked by voters in the coach/contributor category for the 2024 class. Instead, voters have named Buddy Parker the coach/contributor finalist. He won a pair of NFL titles before the Super Bowl era with the Detroit Lions.

Shanahan will now have to wait at least one more year before a trip to Canton.

Shanahan, 70, coached as an assistant at five colleges before beginning his pro career as a wide receivers coach with the Broncos in 1984. He was promoted to offensive coordinator after one season and later held that same role with the San Francisco 49ers, winning his first Super Bowl in 1994.

Shanahan became Denver’s head coach in 1995 and went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s. In 14 seasons, he went 138-86 with the Broncos, which represents the most wins by a coach in Denver’s history. Shanahan was added to the team’s Ring of Fame in 2021.

Reeves was also a semifinalist in the coach/contributor category, but his family will also have to wait at least one more year.

The Broncos might still have a representative in the 2024 class, though.

Former Denver linebacker Randy Gradishar is a semifinalist for the 2024 Hall of Fame class as a senior candidate. He will learn his fate when up to three senior finalists are selected for the 2024 class on Aug. 22.

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