Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb addressed the Davis Webb playcalling change this week, after head coach Sean Payton stripped him of playcalling duties just four games into the 2026 season. Payton announced the move Thursday, Oct. 8, following a Monday meeting with Webb, and the shift comes with Denver sitting at 2-2 heading into Week 5.
Davis Webb: Playcalling Change “Not Ideal”
Payton told reporters in an impromptu news conference Thursday that he would take back the responsibility himself. “I’ll call the plays,” Payton said, according to CBS Sports. The decision ends Webb’s brief run calling plays after Payton handed him the job in February when he promoted Webb from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
Webb will stay involved in game-planning and remain on the sideline during games, according to reports. Payton had called plays for his first three seasons as Denver’s head coach before stepping back this year, a reversal of the arrangement that let Webb take the reins.
What It Means
Payton framed the switch as a matter of sharpening execution rather than a verdict on Webb’s scheme. “I think our focus needs to be more on the specific and the detail of each play regardless [of who’s calling the plays]. I think Davis is very fast, very quick and understands what we’re doing,” Payton said Wednesday, via ESPN.
Payton also made clear he still views Webb, 31, as a rising coaching prospect. “I’ve done this long enough where I know when I have a future head coach, and (Webb)’s gonna be one. All the things that it’s hard to find will happen,” Payton said.
For Denver’s offense, the change puts Payton’s 20 seasons of NFL head-coaching experience directly back into the game-day scripting after an opening month that produced little production. The Broncos scored just 13 total first-half points through four weeks, the fewest in the league, and ranked 27th in both total offense and scoring offense entering Week 5.
Context And Background
Webb’s promotion in February was designed to keep him in Denver after he drew multiple head coaching interviews during the offseason, making him a hot commodity around the league. He had spent 2023 through 2025 as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach and served as offensive pass game coordinator in 2025, the same year Denver ranked 10th in both scoring and total offense under then-coordinator Joe Lombardi, who was fired in January.
Under Webb’s playcalling this season, those numbers dropped sharply. The Broncos averaged just 81.3 rushing yards per game, 29th in the NFL, despite JK Dobbins leading the team with 161 yards on the ground through four weeks. Quarterback Bo Nix completed 60% of his passes for 819 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, posting an 80.4 passer rating. Denver ranked in the bottom 10 in points per game, yards per game and yards per play.
Payton has personal history with this exact scenario. Early in his coaching career in New York, Jim Fassel took playcalling duties away from Payton. He referenced that experience Thursday while explaining his decision to intervene in Denver’s offense.
What’s Next
Payton will call plays for the first time this season when the Broncos host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Week 5. Los Angeles enters the game 0-4, while Denver sits behind the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West standings. The Broncos went 14-3 in the regular season a year ago, giving this early-season offensive slump added weight as Payton looks to get the unit back on track.
More on the matchup is available in the Broncos vs. Chargers preview.
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