UNC's Ed McCaffrey Champions Former Broncos' HC Mike Shanahan for the Hall of Fame

Someone had to say it.

Despite five consecutive losing seasons, Denver Broncos' GM George Paton has restored some faith in the franchise with the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson and a host of offensive and defensive veterans. The seemingly overnight transformation has reignited a desperate fan base with its eyes set on the postseason in 2022.

But long before the kickoff of the regular season, it’s imperative to respect and understand the expectations of one of the NFL’s most historic franchises of all time.

Mike Shanahan was the offensive architect of Denver's greatness and team culture during his 14 seasons as head coach. Between 1995 and 2008, the Illinois native compiled the highest winning percentage in franchise history (.646) and the greatest number of wins (138). 

The name Shanahan is still at the helm of the league with Mike’s son Kyle leading the San Francisco 49ers as head coach, along with numerous branches of his coaching tree that extend out to NFL luminaries like the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay and the Green Bay Packers' Matt LaFleur. 

Shanahan has three championship rings from his NFL coaching career, two of which came back-to-back as head coach of the Broncos. But despite all his success, the Pro Football Hall of Fame hasn’t recognized Shanahan.

So, why no love for Shanahan?

On Thursday, former Broncos wideout, and one of Shanahan's players in Denver in the 1990s, Ed McCaffrey, took to social media to question the exclusion of his former head coach from Canton.

"Only six NFL coaches have won back-to-back Super Bowls. Coach Lombardi, Shula, Noll, Johnson, Belichick, & Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan who is the only eligible one in this group NOT in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Which begs the question: What's up with that? C'mon man? Let's do this," McCaffrey tweeted. 

Only six @nfl coaches have won back-to-back Super Bowls.
Coach Lombardi, Shula, Noll, Johnson, Belichick, & @broncos
Coach Mike Shanahan who is the only eligible one in this group
NOT in the @ProFootballHOF. Which begs the question: What's
up with that? C'mon man? Let's do this! pic.twitter.com/mpcTNyxXjr

— Ed McCaffrey (@87ed) April 14, 2022

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Now the head coach of the University of Northern Colorado Bears, the player formerly known as 'Eddie Mac' made plain his displeasure with the Hall of Fame, and it's shared by the rest of Broncos Country, who demand ‘Shanny’ be inducted. McCaffrey was originally drafted by the New York Giants in 1991 before meeting Shanahan in San Francisco, where they won their first championship ring together in 1994 (the Steve Young Super Bowl). 

The former Stanford star later followed his former offensive coordinator to Denver in 1995. In Shanahan’s high-powered offense, McCaffrey caught 462 passes in 121 games for 6,200 yards and 46 touchdowns. 

McCaffrey's athletic talent and football acumen were impressive, but his humility and willingness to block for teammate and Hall-of-Fame running back Terrell Davis is what made him legendary in Broncos Country. Shanahan and McCaffrey went on to win consecutive world titles with the Broncos in 1997 and 1998.

The 69-year-old, who currently consults with his son Kyle, is the second head coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowl championships during his first four years coaching the team, joining former Dolphins head coach and Hall-of-Famer Don Shula. Shanahan broke into NFL coaching as an assistant in various stops, including San Francisco as the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl XXIX champions with Young under center. 

Shanahan later found his way back to Denver after earning his first of three championship rings, and the rest, as they say, is history. He implemented offensive principles in Denver that are still utilized in today’s NFL and many of them have become the cutting-edge philosophies of the league's most innovative coaches. 

After his departure from Denver, Shanahan coached in Washington from 2010-13 before retiring and completing his head coaching career. He left the NFL coaching ranks with a regular-season record of 170-138 and a postseason record of 8-6.

To add to his collection of championships, Shanahan earned a Division I National Championship with Oklahoma as an assistant in 1975 and Division II National Championship from his alma mater Eastern Illinois as an offensive coordinator in 1978. Not only was Shanahan the head coach of back-to-back Super Bowl Championships in Denver, but his protégé, Gary Kubiak, won a title as Denver's head man in 2015. 

Shanahan's his fingerprints are all over the Broncos' history and championship hardware and so he was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame in 2021. The Broncos being perennial Hall-of-Fame snubs has somewhat changed with the recent inductions of Davis (2017), Champ Bailey (2018), Pat Bowlen (2019), Steve Atwater (2020), John Lynch (2021), and Peyton Manning (2021).

But there’s absolutely no reason why Shanahan shouldn’t also be immortalized in Canton, OH.

History demands it. Outspoken players and coaches, like McCaffrey, championing Shanahan's Hall-of-Fame worthiness can only help bring scrutiny on his very deserving NFL resume. 

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