Good morning, Broncos Country!
Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan are one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But that’s likely where the journey will end, at least this year.
The Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that both former Denver Broncos head coaches were among the five former head coaches advanced by the Coach Subcommittee. Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, and Mike Holmgren were the other head coaches to advance. The next step in the process comes on Nov. 17, when the subcommittee will select one finalist to advance to the selection
committee and present him for possible induction. After the presentation, the committee votes on whether to induct the former head coach.
Since only one head coach will be included in the 2027 enshrinement class, Belichick is the best bet. The fact that it’s taken this long for Shanahan in particular to get inducted is absurd.
Shanahan’s resume speaks for itself.
- He’s the winningest coach in Broncos history, and the Broncos are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history.
- Shanahan is one of seven coaches to win back-to-back Super Bowls (Chuck Knoll did it twice with the Pittsburgh Steelers). Of those seven, four are in the Hall of Fame, with two as locks when the time comes for Bill Belichick (maybe?) and Andy Reid.
- Including his time as a Broncos assistant, Shanahan is one of just six head coaches to earn at least 200 wins and multiple titles with a single franchise.
- From 1996-98, Shanahan oversaw one of the most successful periods in NFL history. Denver won 46 games and two Super Bowls.
- The Shanahan coaching tree and his offensive mind continue to influence the league in major ways.
- His time as offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers helped Steve Young win his first Super Bowl as a starting quarterback.
If that wasn’t enough, here are some more tidbits to prove how incredible Shanahan was, especially in Denver.
The Broncos led the league in both 1,000-yard rushing seasons (11) and 1,000-yard receiving seasons (18) during Shanahan’s 14 years as Denver’s head coach.
As for Reeves, what he did with the Broncos is just as impressive as what former Buffalo Bills head coach and Hall of Famer Marv Levy did, yet Reeves’ accomplishments are overlooked and underappreciated. Remember, Reeves was head coach for a team that went to three Super Bowls in four years.
Reeves won more than 60 percent of his games during his 12 seasons in Denver. But as the Broncos website points out, Reeves’ candidacy extends beyond just the Mile High City. Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls as a player or coach, and he was a two-time AP Coach of the Year.
Shanahan should already be in the Hall of Fame, so hopefully it happens sooner rather than later. For Reeves, it’ll take some time, but here’s hoping he eventually gets his rightful place. Unfortunately, it’ll be posthumously.
Broncos Country takeover of Charlotte
It’s becoming clear that Broncos fans travel. We saw it a few weeks ago in Arizona against the Cardinals. But what I’ve seen the last few days in the Queen City is freaking impressive. Everywhere you look, there are Denver fans.
I won’t predict what Bank of America Stadium will look like today, but there will be a lot of orange.
