Head coach Sean Payton handed over the Denver Broncos’ offense to Davis Webb, hoping the move would give the unit another voice. Four games later, with the offense near the bottom of the NFL in several major categories, Payton has decided he needs to take control again.
“Just in: #Broncos HC Sean Payton is taking over offensive play-calling duties from OC Davis Webb, he announced today,” NFL Insider Ari Meirov’s X post read on Thursday.
The decision comes just months after Payton promoted Webb to offensive coordinator and made him the Broncos’ primary play-caller for the 2026 season. Webb will remain heavily involved in the offense and game planning, but Payton will take over the play-calling beginning Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The move was not exactly unexpected after Denver’s offense struggled through the opening month. The Broncos are 2-2, but they rank 27th in scoring and total yards, 29th in rushing, and 20th in passing, per ESPN. Denver also ranks near the bottom of the league in offensive EPA (Expected points added), while Bo Nix sits 22nd in QBR at 46.1.
The biggest problem has been the lack of explosive plays. Denver is 29th in plays of at least 20 yards and 30th in explosive plays overall, with only 16 through four games. Nix is also averaging just 6.1 air yards per attempt (per StatMuse), further highlighting the offense’s struggles to create plays downfield.
Payton spent much of the week insisting that the problem was bigger than whoever was calling the plays. He pointed to execution, first-down efficiency, and the “details” of individual plays rather than simply blaming Webb.
“I think our focus needs to be more on the specific and the detail of each play regardless [of who’s calling the plays],” Payton said on October 8. “I think Davis is very fast, very quick, and understands what we’re doing. I think that the most important job I have is really evaluating the whys. I think collectively, we all, after a game, and after a four-game sample size, certainly this isn’t championship football, what we see. How quickly can we correct those things?”
The results have left Denver with little choice but to change something.
The Broncos scored only 13 first-half points through four games and have struggled to establish the run. Their 81.3 rushing yards per game rank 29th in the league, making it difficult for the offense that already has not generated enough big plays.
That does not mean Payton has lost faith in Webb. In fact, he continued to praise his offensive coordinator after announcing the change.
“I’ve done this long enough where I know when I have a future head coach. And he’s going to be one,” Payton said.
Webb only received the playcalling job this season after spending the previous three years on Payton’s staff. The Broncos promoted him to offensive coordinator in February, and Payton said at the time that he would not have surrendered the responsibility unless he believed Webb could help the team.
The original decision also made sense from a developmental standpoint. Webb had already built a strong relationship with Nix and had worked closely with the quarterback since joining Denver in 2023. Payton believed handing him the offense could help the Broncos and give Webb valuable experience as a future head coach.
Now Payton is reversing course before the situation gets worse.
The timing gives Denver an immediate chance to test the change against a winless Chargers team on Sunday. The Broncos then face the Seattle Seahawks four days later on Thursday, October 15, making these next two games an early gauge of whether Payton can get the offense back on track.
For now, Payton has removed one variable from the equation. With the play sheet back in his hands, Denver will find out whether the problem was the playcaller, the execution, or a combination of both.
