Sean Payton Names Davis Webb as Broncos Play Caller for 2026 Season
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday evening, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed that davis webb will call plays for the team during the 2026 NFL season, a notable shift after Payton handled play-calling for his entire head-coaching career.
Davis Webb to Call Plays
Payton announced that his newly promoted offensive coordinator, Davis Webb, will be the Broncos' primary play caller in 2026. Webb's OC title will officially include play-calling duties. Payton said Webb has a gift and framed the change as one made out of confidence in the younger coach and to help the team.
Why Payton Relinquished Playcalling
Payton has called plays for his entire 18-season head-coaching career but acknowledged that his play-calling pace has slowed with age. Payton, 62, allowed Webb, 31, to call plays in one preseason game last summer and praised Webb afterward for fast, efficient play-calling. He also said he will remain involved and will still call some plays, while Webb will handle the bulk of play-calling work.
Webb's Rapid Rise and Next Steps
Webb advanced quickly on Denver's staff, moving from quarterbacks coach to offensive pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator over four years in the organization. He spent four years as a backup quarterback in Buffalo earlier in his career and interviewed for the Bills' head coach opening last month. After drawing interest from multiple clubs this offseason, Webb accepted the promotion and elected to remain with the Broncos.
The immediate implications are concrete: play-calling responsibility shifts to a younger voice who has already shown the ability to operate with pace in at least one preseason setting. Webb's promotion also formalizes what had been an emerging trend within the Broncos' offensive staff and clarifies the chain of command for the 2026 season.
Forward look: if Webb's fast, efficient play-calling translates from preseason demonstration to regular-season execution, the offense could operate with quicker decisions and tempo. Payton noted that the move was intended to help the team; if Webb sustains the approach that earned Payton's praise, Payton may continue with a collaborative, partially delegated play-calling model. If the new arrangement does not produce the desired results, Payton remains in position to adjust how often he intervenes.
Earlier in the day at the combine, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he believed Webb would be handling play-calling duties in Denver. The organization has acknowledged the change publicly and presented it as part of Webb's promoted role.
Uncertainties: details such as how play-calling duties will be split on a game-by-game basis and how the change will affect in-game adjustments were not publicly confirmed beyond Payton's statements at the combine. The Broncos will reveal operational specifics as the season approaches and through early practices and preseason games.
Key takeaway: The Broncos have handed primary play-calling duties to a young, quickly rising coordinator in an effort to inject pace and new ideas into the offense while keeping Payton involved in a supervisory and situational role.
