Mike Shanahan has not coached in the NFL since 2013, but elements of his offense are still seen across the league today.
That’s thanks to Shanahan’s impressive coaching tree which features his son, Kyle, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, among others.
During an episode of “Inside the NFL” last week, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick broke down the Shanahan tree and two famous plays that are still used today.
Belichick started by showing a picture of Shanahan on the sideline with then-offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak at his side. Belichick then showed a stretch play with Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis.
“The idea is to get the ball to the outside of the defense — they get the defense to run, and if they don’t get there, then take it. And if they overpursue, then cut it back.”
Off of that stretch run, Shanahan had a famous boot play that featured a quarterback rollout.
Belichick then showed a photo of Gary Kubiak in Denver’s locker room with his son, Klint, who is now an offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints.
After that, Belichick showed a photo of Mike Shanahan, his son Kyle, Kubiak and former quarterback John Elway on the sideline. Belichick then showed the San Francisco 49ers — now coached by Kyle — running a stretch play (with running back Christian McCaffrey, the son of former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey who played under Shanahan). Then he showed a boot.
Check it out:
Boot and Stretch – the stuff of nightmares for defenses.
Belichick breaks down the Shanahan/Kubiak family coaching tree as only he could 👨🏫 pic.twitter.com/i3ff2Xv8un
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) September 19, 2024
“You get a good back into the secondary — Terrell Davis, Christian McCaffrey, guys like that — it’s all over.”
Shanahan should be a top candidate for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in the coach category this fall. As Belichick’s breakdown demonstrated, Shanahan has a lasting legacy in the NFL with key elements of his offense still seen across the league more than a decade after he stopped coaching.
