It's a good thing Sean Payton doesn't pay attention to outside noise, because it's been deafening ever since his Denver Broncos lost the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots.
In the aftermath of the disappointing end to the season, Payton made a pretty surprising and significant coaching move, firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Because Payton and Lombardi have more than a decade of experience working together, it felt like that move would never actually happen.
And while you would assume that nobody is under the assumption that Lombardi was some kind of scapegoat for the way things went offensively this year, that would be an inaccurate assumption. Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden took a pretty vicious shot at Payton after his decision to fire Lombardi.
Jay Gruden takes a brutal shot at Broncos head coach Sean Payton after firing Joe Lombardi
Damn. Joe Lombardi got fired . OC at Broncos. Tough business. Lost in AFC championships with back up qb. Guess he made the call on 4th-2 not to kick field goal. Got a tee time at noon tomorrow joe. Give me a call.
— Jay Gruden (@Coach_JayGruden) January 28, 2026
Gruden is making a pretty bold statement against Sean Payton here without considering the entire context of the situation. But this is typically where everyone's mind goes when an offensive coordinator is fired by a head coach who also calls the plays.
It must be a scapegoat situation.
It's not.
Lombardi has been the offensive coordinator, in title, since 2023 for the Denver Broncos. He's obviously been around for the past three seasons and it's not like he has absolutely no involvement in the offensive plan whatsoever, but it's Sean Payton who calls the plays during games. Davis Webb, the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator, works the most hands-on with Bo Nix.
From the outside looking in, more people are wondering with Lombardi -- what exactly do you do here?
And that is a sincere question from most, not a question asked in jest or poor taste. Lombardi has held the title of offensive coordinator and was obviously a trusted member of Payton's staff dating back to their time together with the New Orleans Saints, but clearly there was some sort of disconnect that led to his firing.
Payton has never been shy about bringing his old Saints buddies with him to Denver. Pete Carmichael is with the Broncos. John Morton quickly returned as a consultant for the playoffs after a brief stint as the Lions' offensive coordinator. Darren Rizzi was hired to coach the special teams. Even in the front office there are former Saints.
So at some point, Payton is going to have to explain this one in more detail, but everyone is reading between the lines with this move. It feels like a deliberate effort to keep the highly-coveted Davis Webb and promote him to offensive coordinator, although that is just speculation at this point. It just seems like the most likely working theory.
And unless you've been paying close attention or have all the context around a situation, you wouldn't know that. And that's where Jay Gruden badly missed the mark.