The first head has rolled off the chopping block after the Titans fired coach Brian Callahan on Tuesday. It’s the first of the year, after only six games, and more are guaranteed to follow. By season’s end, there will likely be six to eight upheavals at head coach.
Broncos fans are happy to not be on the head coaching carousel, with Sean Payton locked in for the long haul and on the verge of leading Denver to back-to-back playoff berths. But when you have that kind of success, your assistant coaches become targets to fill the voids for struggling teams.
It’s likely Vance Joseph will get another shot to lead a team, especially after the Broncos break the all-time sack record. But there are nasty rumors swirling around another assistant who may be a dark horse candidate for the Titans' job, or others.
NFL teams taking notice of Broncos QB coach Davis Webb
Sean Payton’s greatest mistake this season was letting Davis Webb call plays in a preseason game. Not only has it opened the door to fan criticism of his offense — with some demanding he pass play calling duties to Webb — but it also showcased what he could do for another team.
Webb, a 2017 third-round pick for the New York Giants, only threw one NFL touchdown pass. But after retiring, he quickly ascended into the coaching realm, becoming the QB coach for Russell Wilson in 2023 — even though he was younger than him. His role in developing Bo Nix in his rookie season has unfortunately (for Broncos fans) strengthened his resume.
Sean Payton isn’t giving up playcalling duties at any point in his remaining career. That means that a promotion to Broncos OC wouldn’t be much more than an honorary title and a pay raise. If Davis Webb wants a greater role, he’s likely to look beyond Denver to find it. A leap from QB coach to head coach is rare, but it happens. It’s also possible that he doesn’t get the top job, but accepts an OC position for a defensive-minded coach.
In a recent interview, Albert Breer claimed that the Titans are not in a position to “take a swing” on Bills OC Joe Brady, but thinks that Webb would be a better fit because he’s a former player, and that fits the culture of what’s worked before in Tennessee.
“Extremely well-thought of. Great quarterbacks guy. If you get around him, he’s kinda got the swagger and the presence of an ex-player. He’s someone who can come in and galvanize a place pretty quickly.” -Albert Breer
This week, the Broncos are playing against the team that drafted Webb. Unfortunately, Russell Wilson has been benched, so he’ll be watching his former team and coaches from the sideline. But he had high praise for Webb when interviewed by the NY Post:
“He’s extremely intelligent. He is passionate about the work. I always heard that he was coaching while he was playing. You feel his preparation, his mentality and his know-how of playing the position.” -Russell Wilson
Thankfully, the Broncos declined The Post’s request to interview Davis Webb ahead of the Giants game. Broncos fans are hoping broadcasters and media talking heads stop discussing Webb so he can fly under-the-radar. We don’t need to add any more fuel to this fire — and Broncos beat writers should certainly stop featuring him in their articles.
In fact, don’t share this post with anyone. I regret every word. Let’s just pretend this never happened…