It is no secret that Sean Payton is not exactly a spring chicken anymore. It has been 16 years since he won his Super Bowl as a 46-year-old, but he remains one of the best in the game. Payton is far closer to being the oldest coach in the league than he is to his 40s, which naturally changes the thought process of a man.
Payton has a clear love and desire for coaching, and it might even be what he needs to get through the days. As he enters his age 63 season, Payton has to be considering where the end of his coaching road is, and how quickly it might be approaching. As more and more NFL coaches are turning to the CEO model, giving up play-calling duties needs to be a consideration for him.
Factor in that Davis Webb was a hot head coaching name, and an even hotter offensive coordinator candidate, and something needed to give with the Denver Broncos. As the end of the season progressed and reality became clear, it was obvious that Webb was going to need a significantly larger role to remain in Denver. Payton made that role clear on Tuesday, and it could work out for him the best in the longrun.
Sean Payton just extended the end of his coaching career with the Denver Broncos
With the end of the road for his coaching career near, Payton's decision to hand over play-calling duties to Webb might have extended his coaching career significantly. Not many coaches are able to keep their motor going and find continued success into their late sixties, and Payton is just a few years away. By handing play calling over to Webb, Payton increased his chances of remaining in the game well beyond the 2026 season.
There are plenty of obvious pros to installing Webb as the play-caller, including his close relationship with Bo Nix. As the Broncos' season ended abruptly last month, it seemed as though there was some disconnect between Payton and Nix. This disconnect might have been something that happened in the moment, but there could also be a philosophical difference between what Payton and Nix like offensively, and this could be something Webb understands well.
With Webb being the primary play-caller now, the Broncos also made the correct move based on the momentum he was gaining this offseason, as he did get head coaching interviews. He is easily one of the fastest-rising coaches in the game and has been an instrumental piece to the Broncos’ revival. This appears to be a move that benefits everyone involved and could help build long-term, sustained success.