Insiders Warn Davis Webb Could Be Running Out of Time as Broncos’ Play-Caller

When last we heard from Sean Payton on the subject, he said that it's "way too early" to even countenance a change at offensive play-caller.

Four weeks into the 2026 season, the Denver Broncos sit at 2-2, having played the four best teams in the NFL consecutively. New offensive coordinator and play-caller Davis Webb has had his moments, but the scrutiny remains high as Bo Nix and the offense continue to struggle to find consistency.

Payton's message, again, is that it's too early. That's not necessarily what ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are hearing, though.

Graziano is hearing from people inside the league that Payton's patience is not everlasting.

"A lot of people around the league seem to think Broncos coach Sean Payton won't wait too much longer to take playcalling back from Davis Webb, though I have to believe it won't be an impulse decision if it happens," Graziano wrote on Wednesday.

In Houston, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has taken the defensive play-calling back from coordinator Matt Burke amid the team's 0-4 start, so the precedent is there. Payton isn't the type to wait to see whether another head coach sticks his neck out to make such a move first, but I mention Ryans only to show that decisions like this are often made during the season.

The reality is, the Broncos don't have all the time in the world to turn the offensive ship around. Yes, there are 12 more regular-season games, but each one is crucial and plays a big part in the final divisional and playoff picture.

The question is, how much longer can Payton afford to wait? He's considered one of the best offensive play-callers of the modern era, and while Webb is his protégé and a coach on the rise, his performance has not met expectations.

"In Denver, complicating matters is that its head coach happens to be one of the best playcallers of his generation -- that, and Bo Nix is not playing well. My sense is Webb will have more time, but at some point the product needs to match the expectations," Fowler wrote.

It would be one thing if Nix was playing well, but the Broncos were just struggling overall as a unit. But that hasn't been the case.

Instead of seeing the young quarterback make the expected Year-3 leap forward, fans are becoming increasingly fearful of a regression, fueled, in part, by Webb's inexperience as a play-caller.

Payton is there, looking over Webb's shoulder, but in each of the past two games, the Broncos' head coach has been seen more and more often with a play sheet in his hands, especially in the second half.

Other Possible Factors

Davis Webb. — Davis Webb talks to Bo Nix. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Webb has yet to impress anyone with his play-calling, the Broncos haven't exactly executed well as a unit. That's true of Nix and every man on offense, but it triggers the classic chicken-or-the-egg quandry.

Is Nix struggling because of Webb's play-calling? Or is Webb's play-calling failing to launch because of Nix? We have far more reason to acquit Nix in that question, given his experience, than we do Webb, who has exactly four regular-season games under his belt as an NFL play-caller.

The other factors to consider is the stiff schedule Denver has faced. The Broncos won't always have to play the very best teams in the league each week, so it will be interesting to see how the offensive product looks on Sunday, for example, against the 0-4 Los Angeles Chargers.

The pressure allowed on Nix by the Broncos' offensive line is an all-time high. And the starting five, despite returning every starter for the third straight year, has played far from the top-rated unit it was last year. It makes me wonder how much that has affected Nix as a passer, given that he leads the league in passes behind the line of scrimmage this season.

The Broncos invested big into wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, giving up a first- and third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins and absorbing his big contract. Denver isn't seeing much of a return on that investment, and it's fair to wonder if Payton could do a better job of maximizing the talent around Nix.

We know that Payton contributes to the game plan each week, and he certainly signs off on it. But the Broncos have continued to be exceedingly slow starters, while struggling to stay on the field and finish drives with points.

The Takeaway

At this point, Payton is likely keeping an open mind on Webb and the play-calling because of his belief in his protégé and the quality of opponents the Broncos have faced thus far. The Chargers will be a telling litmus test, though.

If Nix and the offense fail to launch against a winless Chargers team that features the NFL's 24th-ranked scoring defense, perhaps it would be enough to convince Payton to step in and take back the play-calling.

That puts a lot of pressure on Nix and Webb, but welcome to the NFL. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

If Fowler and Graziano are hearing rumblings inside the NFL, it's only a matter of time before Payton effectuates a change, even if it means he ends up with some egg on his face. The Broncos can't afford to let the season slip away — not with the Super Bowl expectations they've established.

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