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Former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame’s convoluted voting process has slowed down Shanahan’s bid to reach Canton.
Last year, the Hall of Fame changed its bylaws to switch the coach/contributor category into separate coach and contributor categories. Voters then inexplicably snubbed Shanahan in the coach category in favor of Mike Holmgren, who lost to Shanahan in a Super Bowl and only won a single title as a head coach (Shanny won two).
Unfortunately, it wasn’t merely a matter of Holmgren getting in with this class and Shanahan following him in the next class. Instead, Holmgren did not receive the required votes as a finalist to actually get into the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class. So now he’s back in line, too, after no coaches made it as members of this year’s class.
Shanahan won’t get in next year, either, because Bill Belichick will be eligible for the 2026 class and he’s an obvious first-ballot candidate.
So what happens in the 2027 class? Will Holmgren get the finalist nod again over Shanahan? Or will Shanahan be named the finalist after they previously chose Holmgren over him last year?
Fortunately, Andy Reid plans to coach again in 2025, delaying his candidacy for at least two more years. With Belichick on deck and Reid eventually looming, Shanahan might have to wait a few more years, and then Holmgren could become a factor again.
It’s a shame that Shanahan had to wait this long because the process is now being dragged out by other candidates being added to the queue. The three-time Super Bowl champion will undoubtedly reach Canton at some point, but Shanahan’s unjust waiting period will likely continue for at least another year.