Mike Shanahan’s genius has served as a blueprint for plenty of other coaches in the NFL. But while many of his contemporaries have made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the iconic Denver Broncos head coach has yet to make the honor. Once again on the roundup for the Class of 2027, former Broncos player Howard Griffith has made his feelings known on the delay.

“It’s tough to believe (Shanahan has been) having to wait this long when you think about some of the other coaches that are in (the Hall of Fame). No disrespect to them, but if you put his credentials up against some of the guys who are in there right now, there’s no question he should be in there,” Griffith said as reported by the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

“You think about how (Shanahan) built his teams. He had an unbelievable support staff … He had a lot of talent around him (in the front office) that was able to put the right pieces for him, so his vision could be seen, but look at what he did for the game, winning two Super Bowls and you look at his coaching tree and how impactful it is today.”

Griffith is the same player whom Shanahan persuaded to sign with the Denver Broncos during the 1997 offseason. At the time, Griffith was an in-demand fullback. He went on to win two Super Bowls with the team.

Why Shanahan has failed to make the Hall of Fame is a mystery. Even though he was fired by the Los Angeles Raiders after a failed short stint, he came to Denver as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL. Shanahan won a Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers. In Denver, after going 8-8 in his first season with the team, Shanahan took the Broncos to the playoffs the next season, and won Super Bowls in the two following seasons.

Under Shanahan’s leadership, Denver finished with a losing record only twice in his 14 seasons. He revamped Denver’s offense by introducing a new running game, powered by Terrell Davis. The quarterback and franchise hero John Elway also had some brilliant seasons under Shanahan. And yet, despite being among the best head coaches in the history of the NFL, he continues to wait for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

“You look at 60% of the teams, playing the NFL, and that’s just a number off the top of my head … that are playing a form of the West Coast offense. The root of what they’re doing is based on what we did to win back-to-back championships here in Denver. It’s Mike Shanahan’s offense,” former Denver Broncos offensive lineman said on the Chris Russell show earlier this year. “So, whether it’s Sean McVay, Matt Lafleur, Kevin O’Connell, Zach Taylor, Kyle Shanahan; like you go on and on. Klint Kubiak with the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, the root of that offense is all in Mike Shanahan, what he did and created in Denver.

“So, the fact that he has been a two-time Super Bowl champion and has been bypassed for the Hall of Fame the last several years is a travesty.”

Schlereth and Griffith are not the only ones who fought for Shanahan’s induction. NFL analyst Peter King also voiced his frustration on the Dan Patrick Show in October.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” he shared. “How do you not put the guy who might have the best coaching tree, or one of the best coaching trees and success in the history of the sport? When I was a voter (for the Pro Football Hall of Fame), I staunchly advocated for Shanahan.”

When it comes to Shanahan, he has been snubbed in the Hall of Fame race in the past. Back in December 2024, it was announced that Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Marty Schottenheimer, among others, were the nine semifinalists. But it was later announced that the former Denver head coach did not make the cut. That’s where competition began brewing for Shanahan.

He will be running the race with four former NFL head coaches, including Coughlin, Bill Belichick, Mike Holmgren, and Dan Reeves. Last winter, it was Belichick who didn’t receive the necessary votes for induction as part of the Class of 2026. The pressure will be on once again in the Class of 2027.