When Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton handed off play-calling duties to Davis Webb this offseason, it made sense. Webb was a hot name in the offseason and the Broncos wanted to keep him.
Through four games of miserable offensive football, it no longer made sense to have a potential Hall of Fame coach not calling plays.
It appears Payton will be the primary play-caller again. There were matching reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Thursday, both released at exactly noon Eastern time, and it’s not hard to translate what is going on. Schefter said there will be a “collaborative play-calling approach” and Rapoport said the “process will remain collaborative,” but Payton will be “more heavily involved in offensive play-calling this week” (Rapoport) and he will have an “increased role in the process” (Schefter) of calling plays. Webb, Denver’s offensive coordinator, will be “continuing with a significant game-planning and game-day role” (Schefter) with “a major voice on game day and during the week” (Rapoport) going forward.
In other words, Payton is taking back play-calling duties, though it’s unclear if he’ll be doing it all or just most of it.
It’s easy to see why the Broncos want to massage that message through the media. Webb came back to the Broncos after getting interviews elsewhere, got four games to call plays and Payton took back control of the offense.
It’s an abrupt move but after four games, Payton had little choice.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton gave up play calling to Davis Webb this offseason. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Broncos offense has been lagging
Payton was clearly not comfortable giving up play-calling duties. He had been the primary play-caller on offense every season he has been on the sideline as head coach. The Broncos hadn’t even finished the first game, an ugly loss to the Chiefs, before there was speculation he’d be calling plays before long.
The Broncos offense started the season poorly and aside from good second halves against the Jaguars and Rams, it has not improved. Denver had just 13 first-half points in four games. That was the second-worst through four games over the last five NFL seasons, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. The 2023 Giants had just nine first-half points through four weeks.
Denver is 26th in offensive success rate. Denver is averaging 3.6 yards per rushing attempt, tied for fifth-worst in the NFL. The Broncos average 6.1 yards per pass attempt, tied for fourth-worst in the NFL. Bo Nix’s numbers are down across the board, including a passer rating that is 80.4 after he was 87.8 last season. The Broncos traded a first-round pick and more to get receiver Jaylen Waddle, and in three of Denver’s four games he combined for 47 yards.
Payton is masterful calling plays. He is one of the best of his era. The Broncos were 2-2, and probably fortunate to be .500, and he couldn’t sit back while the offense floundered.
The NFL is a results league, and the results weren’t good enough for Webb to keep controlling the offense.
Sean Payton has strong history calling plays
Webb is 31 years old and considered one of the hottest young assistants in the NFL. This past offseason he got head-coaching interviews. The real danger for the Broncos was losing him to another team that would make him a play-calling offensive coordinator. The switch was made. Webb stayed in Denver.
His month of calling Denver’s plays, and the ineffectiveness, could cool down his market next offseason. It’s also not the end of the world for Webb. In 2002, New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel took back play-calling duties from his young, hotshot offensive coordinator. That was Payton who got demoted, and his career turned out fine.
“I like Sean Payton and I feel like in some ways we let him down,” then Giants tight end and current Lions coach Dan Campbell told the New York Post in 2002. “You can’t deny we’re not putting up points but I can’t sit here and go, ‘It’s Sean Payton’s fault’ because I dang well know it’s not.”
It’s not all Webb’s fault for the 2026 Broncos, but Payton making a move was inevitable.
The Broncos were 14-3 last season and while they were due to regress, the first four games have sent warning signals that things were going to get worse before they got better. The Chiefs are already 4-0 in the AFC West and the 3-1 Raiders are much improved. The Broncos couldn’t lose much more ground, and it would have been an unforced error to do so while Payton wasn’t calling plays.
Payton’s offenses have finished in the top 10 in yards gained 16 times in his first 21 seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator, and 13 times it finished in the top 10 in points scored. The Broncos are 27th in both categories this season.
Maybe Payton calling more plays won’t completely turn things around. But he wasn’t going to wait any longer to find out.