Sean Payton finally made the jaw-dropping announcement that Broncos Country has been waiting on: he has passed play-calling off to Davis Webb for the 2026 season. Webb opted to stay in Denver as the offensive coordinator after a few weeks of several interviews. What was widely expected is now official. The Denver Broncos will have a new play-caller for 2026, and likely beyond.
The news was initially well received, and with good reason. Webb is considered to be one of the fastest-rising coaches in the game, but that doesn't mean the news comes without hesitation from some. In a few cases, fair questions were asked, and eyebrows were raised.
Webb will be one of several rookie play-callers next season, but his position comes with a ton of risk. Taking the reins from a future Hall of Famer has enough pressure, but adding in Denver's need to win immediately makes things that much more complicated. There is no doubt that Webb will end up a great head coach and play caller, but Payton might have messed up the timing of this inevitable transition.
These reasons prove why Sean Payton jumped the gun giving play-calling to Davis Webb
3. No play-calling experience
This will be Webb's first run as a play caller, which is a lot to ask of a team in title contention. If Webb goes through growing pains, which is natural for a coach in their first season at a new position, it could begin to hold the Broncos back and detract from their title chances more than it adds to them. Putting your title chances on the shoulders of a rookie play caller is a tall ask, and it could sink the Broncos in 2026.
2. The offense is built to Payton's scheme and calls
Since Payton's arrival in 2023, the Broncos' offensive personnel has been slowly but surely shifted to fit Payton's run-heavy, jumbo-package-friendly system. One of the major issues with immediate play-calling shifts, especially when so much of the Broncos' offense is under contract for multiple more years, either on rookie deals or on high-dollar deals, is that the personnel might not fit a Webb offense. If Webb is trying to fit his offensive system into a roster that doesn't fit his play calling, it could be a rough start.
1. Denver is in a win-now window
The Broncos are in a win-now window, and they need to capitalize on it now. The risk with a rookie play caller is that it could derail an entire season, and the Broncos are not at the right point in their plan to take that risk. Denver risks losing a year off its first true title window in a decade, which could also be enough to lose decision-makers their jobs.