Sean Payton Reportedly Strips Davis Webb of Play-Calling Duties Ahead of Broncos vs. Chargers

Davis Webb's tenure as the Denver Broncos' offensive play-caller is reportedly coming to an end after only four weeks.

Former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley was the first to report the news Thursday on 104.3 The Fan in Denver, and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has since confirmed that head coach Sean Payton is taking back play-calling duties from Webb.

The move comes amid a 2-2 start for the Broncos, who rank a disappointing 27th in the NFL this season in both total offense and scoring offense.

Payton had been the Broncos' offensive play-caller for his first three seasons at the helm as head coach, but he handed the reins over to Webb ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Webb, a former NFL quarterback, had been the Broncos quarterbacks coach from 2023 to 2025, in addition to being their offensive pass game coordinator last season.

Given the overall success of the team and of quarterback Bo Nix, Webb was a hot coaching commodity during the offseason, and received multiple head coaching interviews.

Webb likely could have gone elsewhere for offensive coordinator opportunities as well, but the Broncos decided to promote him to OC and give him play-calling duties in order to retain him.

Payton had always been his own offensive play-caller, dating back to his lengthy run as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, so Webb's performance was instantly placed under the microscope.

Given that Denver was the 10th-ranked team in scoring offense in 2024 and 10th-ranked team in total offense last season, now ranking 27th in both categories through the first month of the 2026 season represents a huge fall from grace.

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Nix's production has taken a major hit after putting up strong numbers over his first two NFL seasons as well.

He is completing a career-low 60.0 percent of his passes for 819 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

On top of that, the Broncos have had almost no running game to speak of, as JK Dobbins leads the team with 161 yards on the ground, and Denver ranks 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game with 81.3.

The Broncos are going on the road to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and it is a hugely important game for both teams.

At 0-4, the Chargers figure to be desperate, and one can only assume they will give the Broncos their best shot.

A loss to a winless team would be devastating to the Broncos, as it would drop them to 2-3 after posting a 14-3 regular-season record in 2025.

On top of that, the Kansas City Chiefs appear to be back in form with a 4-0 record, and it could be a tough ask for the Broncos to make up a 2.5-game deficit in the AFC West, especially after already losing to KC once.

All of those factors likely played a role in Payton's reported decision, as he will look to get the Broncos' offense back to what it was over the past couple of seasons.