Bo Nix Feels He Let Davis Webb Down—Now It's Time to Step Up

Bo Nix was disappointed in Sean Payton's decision to take back the offensive play-calling duties this week.

According to Payton, the Denver Broncos' quarterback feels he let his close friend and coach down after Davis Webb lost his play-calling responsibilities after just four games. Nix is not alone in that disappointment.

“Everyone’s a little disappointed because you feel like you let one of your teammates down," Payton said when asked what Nix's reaction to the news was. "That’s the human part of it. That’s our game a little bit in this league."

Nix is aware that, four years into his NFL coaching career, Webb has been on a rocket-ship trajectory, drawing head-coaching interest around the league in each of the past two hiring cycles. If Webb could hit this new offensive coordinator/play-caller job out of the park for Payton, everyone knew that his future as an NFL head coach was secure.

Nix wanted that for his friend, and he certainly didn't want to do anything that would contribute to holding Webb back. That's why the quarterback's disappointment is so understandable.

It's not that Nix is disappointed to be working so directly with Payton again; he's just bummed for what it means for his pal, Webb, especially relative to his NFL coaching stock. The silver lining, though, is that this play-calling shake-up likely means that Webb will be sticking around beyond 2026, even if the Broncos turn things around and meet expectations as a playoff team.

But that's not how Nix and Webb dreamed it up. They were supposed to create some big things together this year, and perhaps send Webb off in style to his first head-coaching gig.

Alas, the NFL decided to structure Denver's first-place schedule in a way that pitted them against the league's four best teams consecutively to start the season. That'd be a tough row to hoe for any coach, let alone a fourth-year guy calling plays for the first time in his career.

The Broncos' offense has been ugly and downright bad at times, but beating two of those teams is more than a moral victory. We're talking about a 2-2 team, after all — not a winless Broncos squad.

No Time to Commiserate

Bo Nix. — Bo Nix and Sean Payton discuss a play with Davis Webb looking on. | Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

It's unfortunate how Denver played in the first four games of this season, but Nix can't afford to dwell on his disappointment. Payton and the Broncos need him to step up and answer the bell this week against the Los Angeles Chargers — and it's not like Webb has gone anywhere.

Webb is still in the meetings and will be on the sidelines with Nix and Broncos quarterbacks coach Logan Kilgore. It's be Payton's familiar voice that Nix hears in his ear now.

In all actuality, Nix stands to be the biggest winner of Payton's decision to take back the play-calling. It wasn't always perfect, but Nix and Payton have conjured a lot of Mile High Magic together.

Theories Abound

Sean Payton and Davis Webb. — Sean Payton passes Davis Webb on the sideline. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Some people have theorized that taking back the play-calling was Payton's only alternative to getting Nix back on track because it's not as if the veteran coach could bench his quarterback. But he could bench Webb.

I understand that school of thought, but Nix hasn't been that bad. At the risk of sounding like someone making excuses for the third-year quarterback, he's gone 2-2 against the NFL's very best opponents, passing for 819 and five touchdowns with three interceptions and a lost fumble.

Nix has only completed 60% of his passes, which would be a career-low if he finished there, and that's kind of stupifying, given how many of his targets have been check-downs to running backs. As I wrote earlier this week, he has looked timid as a quarterback, hesitant to push the ball downfield, and seemingly over-focused on ball security instead of making plays.

Payton claims that his decision to take back the play-calling isn't about trying to fix Nix; he did because he believes it's what is best for the Broncos right now.

“No," Payton said on whether this is about fixing Nix. "Bo is the by-product of a lot of things at that position. Hopefully that will be one of the things that can happen, but there are a lot of other things that I think can allow that to happen first.”

What Must 'Happen First'

Getting the offensive line playing well would go a long way toward helping Nix break out of his funk. He's been under a career-high amount of pressure this season, despite only being sacked five times — the second-fewest in the NFL.

Fielding a viable run game would also help get Nix back on track, and avoid so many third-and-longs. J.K. Dobbins is due for a big game, and he made a lot of hay with Payton as his play-caller last season before his injury.

The truth is, Nix has had a ton of success with Payton as his play-caller, too. We could go through and list all the records Nix owns — and the number of games he's won — but I think fans understand just how prolific his first two seasons were.

Payton believes he has to take back control of the play-calling in order to get the offense back on track and Nix playing like a franchise quarterback. It's unfortunate that it comes at the expense of Webb, but Payton emphasized multiple times at the podium on Thursday that his protege's future is still very, very bright.

"I’m going to go back to what I said earlier relative to his talent," Payton said of Webb. "It’s rare. He’s gifted. It’s all ahead of him, I’m talking about Davis.”

We're going to hear from Webb on Friday. Payton said that Webb "will be fantasitc" at the podium. We're fixin' to find out, as Gary Kubiak was fond of saying.

The Takeaway

You feel for Nix and his teammates, but they can't worry about Webb. The Broncos have to focus on righting the ship offensively, and if they can do that this week against the winless Los Angeles Chargers, it'll go a long way toward quieting the noise around this team.

The Chargers may be 0-4, but Nix's only career win against them came late last season when Jim Harbaugh rested Justin Herbert and many of his key starters. The Chargers are desperate, so the Broncos have to treat them no differently than they would if they were 4-0.

L.A. is pretty banged up right now, on both sides of the ball, so Nix has a great opportunity to get his first-ever win at SoFi Stadium and answer the bell for his head coach. Payton's recent decision raised eyebrows around the league, but it also put all the pressure on his shoulders.

If Nix steps up and plays well in L.A., the Broncos will win the game. The pressure on Payton will pop like a balloon, and the Broncos will get to 3-2 in time to host the World Champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

Best not to get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Take it by the inch, it's a cinch. By the yard, it gets hard.

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