The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history. They went 14-3, surging past the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West and earn the No. 1 seed in the conference before falling a game short of a Super Bowl appearance. Still, coach Sean Payton is making a major change for 2026 in hopes of sparking the offense.
Payton revealed Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that he is giving up play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Payton called Webb “extremely talented,” and said this decision is best for the team.
“It was something I kind of knew during the year. He and I visited on a handful of occasions. He’s extremely talented. With regards to play-calling, I think he’ll be really good at it,” Payton said.
In 2025, Denver’s offense ranked 14th in scoring (23.6 points per game) and 10th in total offense (342.6 yards per game), while second-year signal-caller Bo Nix completed 63.4% of his passes for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. At face value, those numbers are pretty solid, but there was a reason why Denver fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi last month. The Broncos made a habit of putting pressure on themselves with slow starts. In fact, Denver registered 12 comeback wins this past season — an NFL record.
It was evident all year. The Broncos played with their food in the season opener against the lowly Tennessee Titans in a 20-12 victory, and then lost their next two games. In Week 5, the Broncos had to score 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-17. Two weeks later, the Broncos came back from down 19-0 in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Giants, 33-32. According to CBS Sports Research, those 33 points were the most scored in a game in NFL history by a team that was being shut out entering the fourth quarter. Broncos fans were left wondering why their offense waited until the final 15 minutes to start playing.
Payton struggled to get Nix and his offense into a rhythm. It’s easy to criticize the quarterback whenever the offense can’t stay on the field, but some of Payton’s third-down play calls were questionable, including in critical situations. Look no further than Denver’s controversial decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 in the first half of the AFC Championship game instead of kicking a chip-shot field goal in an eventual three-point loss. Payton called a bootleg or play-action pass that was doomed from the start. He said afterwards that he regretted the play call more than the decision to go for it.
The other facet of this decision is the promotion of Webb, who clearly has already earned the trust of Payton and Nix.
Who is Davis Webb?
The 31-year-old Webb spent the past three years as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. He served as the team’s pass game coordinator in 2025 as well. A former NFL quarterback himself, Webb was selected in the third round in 2017 by the Giants. However, he played in just two NFL games before turning his attention to coaching.
Webb has experienced a meteoric rise in the coaching world. He received head-coaching interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens this offseason. Webb could have found a job as an offensive coordinator for another team, but the Broncos promoted him following Lombardi’s firing and are now giving him play-calling duties.
Longtime NFL backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who played for Payton in 2017 with the New Orleans Saints, had high praise for Webb.
“I can’t fathom Sean Payton ever giving up play calling knowing how he operates,” Daniel wrote. “And that should tell you everything you need to know about Davis Webb.”
Payton said just as much.
“I would only do that [give up calling plays] if I felt like it would help our team,” Payton said. “I’ll still be involved with what we do offensively, just like what we do defensively. But I do think [Webb] has a gift. He’s real sharp. I’m glad he’s on our staff. I’m looking forward to it.”
