Tag: Mike Shanahan

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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Karl Mecklenburg among ex-Broncos players snubbed by Hall of Fame voters

Karl Mecklenburg, Louis Wright, Lionel Taylor and eight other Broncos players were snubbed by Hall of Fame voters in the senior category.

Karl Mecklenburg and 10 other former Denver Broncos players were named senior candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class last month. Voters have since narrowed the pool of 183 nominees down to 60 candidates, and no former Broncos players advanced in the voting.

Mecklenburg, linebacker Tom Jackson, safety Dennis Smith, wide receiver Lionel Taylor, returner Rick Upchurch, cornerback Louis Wright, receiver Bob Scarpitto, defensive lineman Michael Dean Perry, running back Sammy Winder, defensive lineman Lyle Alzado and defensive end Rich Jackson will all have to wait at least another year for a chance to reach Canton.

There is still a chance that the Broncos could be represented in the 2025 class. In addition to the 11 senior nominees, Denver also had 19 modern-era players nominated this year, and Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top candidate in the coach category.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

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

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

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Bill Belichick breaks down Mike Shanahan’s offense seen in the NFL today

Bill Belichick breaks down the Mike Shanahan coaching tree and key elements of Shanahan’s offense that are still seen across the NFL today.

Mike Shanahan has not coached in the NFL since 2013, but elements of his offense are still seen across the league today.

That’s thanks to Shanahan’s impressive coaching tree which features his son, Kyle, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, among others.

During an episode of “Inside the NFL” last week, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick broke down the Shanahan tree and two famous plays that are still used today.

Belichick started by showing a picture of Shanahan on the sideline with then-offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak at his side. Belichick then showed a stretch play with Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis.

“The idea is to get the ball to the outside of the defense — they get the defense to run, and if they don’t get there, then take it. And if they overpursue, then cut it back.”

Off of that stretch run, Shanahan had a famous boot play that featured a quarterback rollout.

Belichick then showed a photo of Gary Kubiak in Denver’s locker room with his son, Klint, who is now an offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints.

After that, Belichick showed a photo of Mike Shanahan, his son Kyle, Kubiak and former quarterback John Elway on the sideline. Belichick then showed the San Francisco 49ers — now coached by Kyle — running a stretch play (with running back Christian McCaffrey, the son of former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey who played under Shanahan). Then he showed a boot.

Check it out:

“You get a good back into the secondary — Terrell Davis, Christian McCaffrey, guys like that — it’s all over.”

Shanahan should be a top candidate for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in the coach category this fall. As Belichick’s breakdown demonstrated, Shanahan has a lasting legacy in the NFL with key elements of his offense still seen across the league more than a decade after he stopped coaching.

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Adam Schefter says Mike Shanahan is a ‘no-brainer’ for Hall of Fame

Mike Shanahan reaching the Hall of Fame with the 2025 class is a “no-brainer,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Wait, Mike Shanahan isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Current Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton assumed Shanahan wasn’t in yet because he wasn’t eligible. Shanahan is eligible, and a Hall of Fame nod is long overdue. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Canton could be calling soon.

Shanahan, who has not coached since 2013, more than meets the qualifications of being out of pro football for five years. And after winning two Super Bowls as head coach and one as an assistant, and coordinating two of the first six offenses to score 500 points, one should wonder why he is not in the Hall.

Thankfully, Schefter makes it very clear why, in 2025, the buck stops here for Shanahan and the Hall.

“I do know, having been a voter for four or five years in the past, that if I were in that room, you would have my undivided support,” Schefter said during a recent episode of his podcast with Shanahan, via Aric DiLalla of DenverBroncos.com. “And I certainly hope there are enough other people that also feel that way.

“Again, when you have the records that you do, the marks that you set, the championships that you have, the MVPs you coached and the coaching tree you produced, this should be, to me, if you don’t mind me saying, a no-brainer.”

While Schefter can only do so much, seeing those in the media campaign for such a legendary and innovative coach is a positive development, and Shanahan might now have the momentum to finally reach Canton as a member of the 2025 class.

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Full list of 30 former Broncos nominated for 2025 Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have 30 former players nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, and Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top coach candidate.

Earlier this week, the NFL announced 19 former Denver Broncos players have been nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class as modern-era candidates.

Those 19 players join a previous list of 11 senior candidate nominees who were announced earlier this month, giving the Broncos 30 total players who have been nominated for next year’s Hall of Fame class. Here are the full lists.

Broncos modern-era HOF candidates

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

Broncos senior HOF candidates

  1. LB/DL Karl Mecklenburg
  2. LB Tom Jackson
  3. DB Dennis Smith
  4. WR Lionel Taylor
  5. WR/R Rick Upchurch
  6. CB Louis Wright
  7. WR Bob Scarpitto
  8. DL Michael Dean Perry
  9. RB Sammy Winder
  10. DL Lyle Alzado
  11. DE Rich Jackson

Former Denver coach Mike Shanahan is also expected to be nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class in the coach category.

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of nominees in mid-October before announcing semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Hall of Fame’s new eligibility rules impact Mike Shanahan and Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick won’t be eligible for the Hall of Fame before 2026 at the earliest. Mike Shanahan should be part of the 2025 class.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame made a notable change to its eligibility policy for coaches last week.

Previously, coaches had to wait until five years after they left the NFL to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Under the new policy, coaches only have to wait one year until they are eligible for Canton.

That’s a notable development for former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is without a team this fall. If Belichick does not return to coaching before next season, he will be eligible for the 2026 class. (It’s still possible that Belichick could return to coaching, though.)

With Belichick still not eligible for at least another year, former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan should remain a strong candidate for the 2025 class. The Hall of Fame has also separated the “coach” and “contributor” categories, which could improve Shanahan’s chances.

Previously, those categories were combined and up to two candidates were elected each year, so it was possible for two “contributors” and no coaches to be elected in a class. Now one coach and one contributor can make it in with each class.

Shanahan, a three-time Super Bowl champion, won back-to-back titles as a head coach with the Broncos. Elements of his offense (and many disciples from his coaching tree) are still seen across the league today. Sean Payton, Denver’s current coach, has said Shanahan should already be in Canton.

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Ed McCaffrey wants former Broncos coach in the Hall of Fame

“It’s Time for a Call from the Hall!” Ed McCaffrey wants to see Mike Shanahan reach the Hall of Fame.

Ed McCaffrey has spoken.

McCaffrey, a former wide receiver who won three Super Bowls with Mike Shanahan during his 13-year career in the NFL, wants to see his former coach reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“It’s Time for a Call from the Hall!” McCaffrey tweeted on Saturday in response to a story about Shanahan from the team’s official Twitter/X page.

The Broncos hosted the Green Bay Packers for a joint practice on Friday. Before that practice, Packers coach Matt LaFleur spoke to Denver media members about his connection to Shanahan.

“Coach Shanahan has had a tremendous impact,” LaFleur said, via the team’s official website. “He gave me really my first position job with Washington in 2010 as a quarterbacks coach. I learned so much from him, not only Xs and Os wise but how to manage a staff. … When you look back at it, we had a lot of guys who have gone on to be head coaches. I think it’s because we learned the right way from Coach Shanahan.”

Shanahan was a semifinalist for the 2024 Hall of Fame class but was not elected. He was an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers when they won Super Bowl XXIX. After that, Shanahan became head coach of the Broncos and he quickly signed McCaffrey, a fellow ex-Niner. Shanahan went on to win two more Super Bowls in Denver.

Elements of Shanahan’s offense are still seen across the NFL today and his coaching tree continues to bear fruit years after the coach’s retirement. Sean Payton, the Broncos’ current coach, has said Shanahan should already be in the Hall of Fame. Perhaps he’ll reach Canton as a member of the 2025 class.

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Commanders finally get rid of long-dormant artificial turf practice field

Josh Harris does something else Dan Snyder would’ve never done.

If you’ve attended a Washington Commanders training camp practice over the years, you’d quickly notice one of the practice fields closest to the team’s facilities: It was artificial turf and rarely used.

That is no more. As reporters descended on Ashburn on Wednesday, all noticed that crews were removing the turf. As JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan and NBC Sports Washington noted, it was long overdue.

In recent years, others in the organization wanted the turf field removed, but former owner Daniel Snyder reportedly thought it cost too much.

New owner Josh Harris said in an interview earlier this year that he isn’t an “F-minus guy.” Harris was referring to the NFLPA grades handed out regarding the team’s poor facilities. Harris has committed millions to improving Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) and the team’s Ashburn headquarters.

Head coach Dan Quinn praised Harris.

“The good news, the turf field had been here a long time; we didn’t utilize [it],” Quinn said. “Let’s give some props to Josh and to his team for recognizing when things have to change for the betterment of these players and that he’s going to find a way to do that. And that’s his pact to the guys that knowing if there’s a way to dig in to let them know that he’s going to turn over every rock, so to speak, to make this experience as strong as it could be. Man, we are appreciative of that. So, it’ll be another grass field that we’ll have here and hopefully, it’ll be by the end of training camp. That’s the timeline for that going forward.”

Harris continues to stand by his promises to make things better for the players and coaches.

Not only will the Commanders have multiple grass fields, but they also have the indoor practice bubble that was built at the urging of former coach Mike Shanahan. Before Shanahan convinced Snyder to build the bubble, Washington had no way of practicing inside.

Times have certainly changed.

Former Washington player and current analyst Ross Tucker wanted a piece of the field for old times’ sake.

 

 

Robert Griffin applauds the Commanders’ GM Adam Peters

Robert Griffin III with some good analysis on the Commanders this time, concerning Adam Peters and the No. 2 pick.

Robert Griffin III believes his being the second overall pick by Washington in 2012 is impacting the decisions the Commanders will make in Thursday night’s draft.

Griffin, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, was chosen second overall by Washington in the 2012 draft, in which Washington traded three first-round selections (2012, 2013, 2014) and a second-round pick (2012).

A guest on the “Rich Eisen Show” Tuesday, Griffin saw his choice as analogous to Jayden Daniels for Washington Thursday night.

“Where did Adam Peters come from?” asked Griffin. He came from San Francisco. What did San Francisco just deal with two years ago? They had a highly drafted quarterback in the first round, and they had the last pick in the draft, which they used to pick Brock Purdy.”

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Now, Trey Lance, in all fairness to him, didn’t get a chance to play because he was hurt and didn’t get a chance to show that he could be that guy. But Brock Purdy was the last choice in the draft, was a guy’s guy. The whole team gravitated towards him. And I feel like Adam Peters was just trying to get a sense, which one of these quarterbacks do the guys gravitate towards?”

Griffin said that outside of Caleb Williams, the other quarterbacks are all athletic and very similar in ability. Griffin expressed that because there previously was such criticism of Washington, people still automatically wondered what they were doing last week, having all four quarterbacks in at once for a group activity.

“I would say, Rich, the highlights are on the film, but the character isn’t. The organization in Washington is just trying to find the right character guys to build a team around, and I actually applaud them for that. Because character is not really something the team has been associated with for the past twenty years.”

“So, I want fans to understand. If you create a negative environment for a guy like Jayden Daniels coming in, it’s only going to breed more negativity once he’s drafted.”

“I hope they just give these guys a clean slate, whoever Washington decides to take. It’s their decision; it’s who they believe in. I want that for them. The situation with me and Kirk Cousins in Washington in 2012 was a situation where the owner and the head coach were fighting against each other.”

“You don’t want that to be repeated. So, whoever they believe in, go draft that guy…I just believe, Rich, that Jayden is the best guy for them.”

Aside from Griffin presenting that he was a victim in 2012, this was actually his best interview regarding Washington in some time.