Denver Broncos fans were disappointed when former linebacker Randy Gradishar and former head coach Mike Shanahan were, yet again, snubbed as selections for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch and 15-year NFL head coach Dick Vermeil were selected as the Senior Finalist and Coach Finalist on Tuesday, instead of the two Broncos.

Despite the excitement surrounding the recent inductions of many Denver legends, Gradishar and Shanahan’s snubs have long been a source of frustration for Broncos Country.

Randy Gradishar

Gradishar played linebacker for the Broncos from 1974-1983. He spent his entire career as a member of the organization.

Gradishar was named the 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as a Pro Bowler seven times. In addition to having 20.5 career sacks and 20 interceptions, he retired with over 2,000 career tackles.

He was the leader of and best player on the Broncos’ Orange Crush defense, which is considered one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses of all time.

With such a strong career, fans and analysts have remained puzzled as to why he has yet to be selected. John Elway was recently asked if he’s earned a spot, and he gave an overwhelming yes.

“Randy Gradishar, by far, is probably the most deserving guy to get into the Hall of Fame now, as far as when you look back now at the history of the NFL and what he did,” Elway said.

Gradishar has had multiple close encounters. He was among the 15 finalists in 2003 and 2008, and made the top 25 list in 2005 and 2007. He was also inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1989, but Canton continues to elude him.

Mike Shanahan

Shanahan was the Broncos head coach from 1995-2008. During that time, he won two Super Bowl championships and left with a .552% win percentage.

He has long been considered a shoo-in as a Hall of Fame selection, especially given the new rules about enshrinement.

Up until last year, coaches had to compete with players for spots in the Hall of Fame. The rule has changed so that there’s one spot per year for a coach. Coaches are nominated by the Coach Committee who consider coaches whose careers ended at least five years ago.

Before the 2022 nominations announcement, Elway had nothing but praise for Shanahan saying, “Mike was the best coach I ever played for. It was a privilege for me to play for him.”

When Vermeil was revealed as the chosen coach nomination, fans and analysts quickly drew comparisons between the coaches’ statistics, pointing out that Shanahan’s were more impressive.

Shanahan’s 178 total career victories rank 14th in NFL history, and he is one of just six head coaches to win multiple Super Bowls and more than 200 games with one team. He was elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2020.

Not only are his career accomplishments impressive, but he’s also the most influential offensive mind of the last 30 years of NFL football. Has anyone changed the way offense is played as much as Shanahan since the Bill Walsh era?

The Broncos’ recent Hall of Fame success

Despite this year’s disappointment, Broncos fans have had lots to commemorate in recent years. Less than three weeks ago, fans celebrated Hall of Fame success when former Broncos Steve Atwater, Peyton Manning, and John Lynch were inducted during the HOF ceremony in Dayton, Ohio, as part of the 2020 and 2021 class.

In total, Denver has ten representatives in the Hall of Fame.

Including those listed above, the Broncos are also represented by: John Elway (2004), Gary Zimmerman (2008), Floyd Little (2010), Shannon Sharpe (2011), Terrell Davis (2017), Champ Bailey (2019), and Pat Bowlen (2019), and they aren’t done yet.

Super Bowl 50 champion DeMarcus Ware will be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year. As it stands, the betting odds favor Ware as the likeliest first-year candidate to be elected.