Mike Shanahan’s Hall of Fame Snub Continues - And It’s Getting Harder to Justify
The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is official, and while there’s plenty to celebrate, there’s also no shortage of head-scratchers. One of the most glaring omissions?
Mike Shanahan. Again.
Yes, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft being passed over in the Coach and Contributor category stirred up plenty of reaction - and understandably so. But if you ask around the league, Shanahan’s continued absence from Canton is every bit as baffling.
Veteran NFL writer Peter King didn’t mince words when discussing Shanahan’s snub this week on the Between the Tackles podcast. “Other than Belichick, Mike is the most deserving coach not in the Hall of Fame,” King said.
“He’s got the best coaching tree in this century. And it’s not even close.
I’m a broken record on Shanahan. It’s ridiculous he’s not in.”
Hard to argue with that. Shanahan’s coaching résumé stacks up with the best of his era - and his influence continues to shape the NFL in 2026.
Let’s rewind. Shanahan took over the Denver Broncos in 1995 and immediately turned the franchise into a powerhouse.
Under his leadership, the Broncos captured back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998 - the first in franchise history - and consistently made deep playoff runs. He brought a modern twist to the West Coast Offense, a system he learned under the legendary Bill Walsh, and evolved it into something that’s still a blueprint for success across the league.
His Denver teams were physical, efficient, and ahead of their time - especially on offense. And while his second stint as head coach in Washington didn’t produce the same results, it laid the groundwork for something even more impactful: a coaching tree that’s become the NFL’s version of a dynasty.
That 2013 Washington staff? It reads like a who’s who of today’s NFL sideline leaders.
His son Kyle Shanahan is now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Sean McVay went on to win a Super Bowl with the Rams.
Mike McDaniel brought innovation to Miami. Raheem Morris and Matt LaFleur have both held head coaching roles, and their own assistants - the “grand-coaches,” if you will - are now leading teams like the Titans (Robert Saleh), Texans (DeMeco Ryans), Bengals (Zac Taylor), and Jaguars (Liam Coen).
That’s not just a coaching tree - it’s a coaching forest.
And let’s not forget Gary Kubiak, another Shanahan disciple, who helped bring a title back to Denver in 2015. That’s two Super Bowl-winning head coaches who came directly from Shanahan’s system. The ripple effect of his offensive philosophy and leadership style is still being felt - and winning games - across the league.
In 2021, the Broncos honored Shanahan by inducting him into their Ring of Fame. It was a well-deserved moment for one of the most impactful figures in franchise history. But Canton remains elusive.
At this point, it’s not a question of if Shanahan will get in - it’s when. His legacy is already cemented in the DNA of the modern NFL.
His offenses changed the game. His protégés are defining a new era.
And his impact? It’s everywhere you look on Sundays.
But for now, 2026 won’t be the year he gets his gold jacket. And that’s a miss.