Chris Simms: Davis Webb Will Make Sean Payton a Better Play-Caller

Davis Webb can help improve the Broncos' offense without taking over the play-calling duties from Sean Payton.

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Speculation about whether Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will relinquish play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb will run throughout the offseason. Some have argued that an injection of new ideas is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Broncos' offense, but Payton handing the play-calling duties off to another coach still seems like a stretch.

After all, Webb is still only 31 and is entering just his fourth season as a coach, so he would benefit from spending another year continuing to master the intricate details from one of the game's greatest offensive minds. Payton, meanwhile, has been an NFL play-caller for the better part of the past quarter-century.

NBC Sports' Chris Simms just about spat out his coffee when he was asked whether Payton should give up play-calling.

"No way. No way. No. Absolutely not," Simms said via The Denver Post's Luca Evans. "He's one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of the sport. Now, where I do like it? I do think their offense was—for a Sean Payton offense—rather basic this year. I mean, if you really looked at it. And we watched film of the Broncos, and then I said, 'All right. Let's go watch the Bears, or the 49ers, or McVay, or McDaniels, and go look at some of the things they're doing. You'd go, Woah. They're doing a lot of stuff here.'" 

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Webb Can Help Spice Things Up Regardless

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 04: Denver Head Coach, Sean Payton and Bo Nix 10 of the Denver Broncos, discuss a play during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on January 04, 2026. | Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Simms's reaction is based on pure logic, but his musings about the Broncos' offense seeming relatively basic compared to some of the league's higher-flying units will intrigue fans. The belief is that Payton pushed his incumbent offensive coordinator, Joe Lombardi, aside in a move to keep the highly sought-after Webb in Denver.

That may be true, but Simms was also of the opinion that the Webb decision is also reflective of Payton reaching into his bag of ingredients for some cayenne pepper to spice up the Broncos' offensive gumbo. 

"I think that's probably part of the reason the offensive coordinator move was made, though, right? I feel like Lombardi [Joe] was very basic West Coast offense," Simms said via Evans. "I think Davis Webb is going to have more ideas to throw into the pot of stew for Sean Payton, and more concepts. And a little more creative that way. And I think that's probably what Sean's looking for. Sean's a mad genius, but even the mad geniuses need some idea guys behind the scenes, right? The Shanahans had the LaFleurs and, right, all these other guys behind them, to kinda go, 'Hey, do it this way, do it this way,' Mike McDaniel, whatever. And it helped Shanahan and his genius, and I think that's where it'll help Sean Payton."

Quarterback Bo Nix and Webb have already spent two productive years together, but it feels like they've only just scratched the surface. That being said, maintaining continuity between the key duo was always going to matter to the Broncos' future success, especially relative to their Super Bowl window. 

Nix and Webb have likely earned Payton's trust through their two years together. They've paid their dues, and Nix's relative inexperience could be part of why Payton has kept a basic outline for his offense thus far.

The proof has been in the pudding, though. It took a freak injury to Nix's ankle to stop the Broncos' momentum from reaching Super Bowl 60, so you can see why Payton isn't exactly looking to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The Broncos' entire process will start to come together and crystallize behind the scenes in the meeting rooms and on whiteboards before the cleats hit the grass again in 2026. If the fresh ideas put forth by Webb do indeed take root, it stands to reason that Payton will be operating with a far better hand when he sits down at the poker table next season. 

When you take a step back and examine what unfolded last season, the growing importance of this offense taking a big step forward in 2026 cannot be overstated. Nix established a reputation as a late-game wizard, but it's hard to rely on such razor-thin margins as a model for victory, as the script can be flipped just as easily.

While the cynics might argue that Webb should have pressed for more control within Payton's offense, playing the long game could benefit everyone involved. When the dust settles, this won't be viewed as a case of Payton desperately clinging to power on some kind of ego trip; he made Webb an offer he couldn't refuse, and it will redound to the Broncos' benefit in the long run, even if Payton maintains control of the play-calling mantle.