Mike Shanahan won’t be going to the Hall of Fame this year, Belichick a finalist

Former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan will have to wait at least one more year for his crack at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Shanahan was a semifinalist in the coaching category, but the finalist nod went to New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick. That news dropped on Wednesday morning, with Patriots longtime owner Robert Kraft also getting a finalist nod in the contributor category.

Five individuals have reached the finalist stage across three categories for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026: Robert Kraft (Contributor), Bill Belichick (Coach), and Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood (Seniors). pic.twitter.com/l3GsWAqghM

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2025

Look, Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, so this isn’t a surprise. He won six Super Bowls with New England and oversaw probably the best dynasty the league has ever seen.

But it’s silly that Mike Shanahan got passed by last year, the year before that and so on. With Belichick on the ballot for the first time, Shanahan never really had a shot in the 2026 class.

His record and resume speaks for itself. Shanahan went 170-138 overall as an NFL head coach, including a splendid 138-86 record in his 14 seasons with the Broncos from 1995-2008.

He won two championships in the late 1990s, helping quarterback John Elway get over the top with a pair of Lombardi Trophies to cap his Hall of Fame career. Shanahan’s coaching tree is currently scattered all over the league, with almost every elite offense running plays from his innovative scheme.

It’s ridiculous Mike Shanahan isn’t already in Canton and a shame we have to do this all again a year from now. Former Broncos coach Dan Reeves will also not be getting inducted, also losing out to Belichick.

No one has a problem with the coaching nominee being Belichick, what people do have a problem with is Mike Shanahan getting passed over time and time again. Hopefully, by Dec. of 2026, this is finally fixed.

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