Mike Shanahan never mentioned Spygate specifically. However, the former NFL head coach’s experience suggests he probably doesn’t view the videotaping scandal as negatively as some others.
Shanahan, who last coached during the 2013 season, was asked Wednesday on “The Dan Patrick Show” whether he ever assigned someone on the sideline to serve as a lip reader during games. The former Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins head man went a step further in his response.
“I’ll be honest with you, back then, everybody was trying to steal signals,” Shanahan said. “You could take 10, 15 teams, and I could tell you some of the best quarterbacks in the league had different cue cards from the sideline — depending on what defense or blitz — and tried to do everything they could.
“Of course, now they went to investigating about relative — did they video, was that in the best interest of the game and things along those lines. They looked at that for a lot of years, and they came up with obviously a final verdict. When I look at those things, I look at them as the past, because I could go back and tell you a hundred different stories and I don’t think we need to reflect back then.”
It’s impossible to tell from his comments exactly how many teams attempted to steal signals during Shanahan’s various coaching tenures. We also don’t know whether teams routinely bent the rules in the process of trying to gain an edge. But Shanahan’s comments lend support to the “everyone did it” defense that many Patriots fans have used over the years with regard to Spygate.
That’s notable in light of this week’s new accusations against New England.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
