Davis Webb takes the reins in Denver, but experts predict Sean Payton’s competitive fire will lure him back to the headset for at least one critical showdown.
The Denver Broncos have been getting used to head coach Sean Payton calling the plays.
Entering the 2026 season, that is going to change. In a bit of a surprise, Payton, the veteran head coach, decided to hand over play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
After the AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots, Payton fired Joe Lombardi, his longtime OC, even dating back to his days with the New Orleans Saints.
Then, Webb was a hot name in the head coach cycle this time around, and he even garnered interviews for other OC positions.
That led to Payton deciding to name Webb as the OC and allow him to call plays.
After all, Payton has been the primary play-caller for essentially his entire head coaching career, and Gilbert Manzano of Sports Illustrated had a bold prediction that Payton will take over the duties at one point this season - although only for one game.
Manzano said he was asked the following question by a friend: How long until Sean Payton takes play-calling duties from his offensive coordinator Davis Webb and does it himself?
"At the time, I was returning from my training camp visit with the Broncos, and all I heard was how great Webb has been for the offense. So, I told my friend, I don’t see that happening at all. But for the sake of being bold, I’ll say Payton will call plays for at least one game this season and then hand the job back to Webb. Head coaches have a lot of pride, and it's not easy for them to give up play-calling. "
That sure is a bold prediction, but let's not put it past Sean Payton.
Let's lay out a scenario. There is a game early on where the Broncos offense struggles. Then, Payton decides to take things over as the play-caller. If Payton does well that week, would he really want to hand it back over to Webb?
Here's another aspect to watch. If Webb loses his play-calling duties, that would likely mean he explores other jobs after 2026, although he will surely be generating more buzz as a potential head coach in the next cycle, so that might be the case either way.
The Broncos offense is expected to be a tough one to stop, and it got even better by acquiring Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle in a trade this offseason.
Only time will tell if Manzano's prediction is true, but Webb might come right out of the gates with the offense clicking on all cylinders.
