Webb: 'Not ideal' to lose Broncos' play-calling duties

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  Jeff LegwoldOct 9, 2026, 05:13 PM ET

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  Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Though he said "it's not ideal'' to have been stripped of play-calling duties, Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb said Friday he's still "all-in'' on quarterback Bo Nix, the team's offense and his role on the coaching staff.

Broncos coach Sean Payton announced Thursday he had made a change and will now call plays instead of Webb. Webb's stint as the play-caller lasted four games as the Broncos' offensive struggled on most fronts in a 2-2 start. The Broncos face the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday in SoFi Stadium.

Webb was asked Friday if a four-game sample size was enough to determine a change should be made.

"Luckily that's not my job, that's (Payton's) job,'' Webb said. "I think he answered that. I think the world of him, how we've gone about it ... it's not ideal, but in the same breath, we're 2-2 in the first four games, our first four opponents were a combined 13-3 to start the season. Welcome to the league.''

The Broncos did face four teams currently among the league's top 10 in scoring defense over the first four weeks -- Jacksonville (No. 2), San Francisco (No. 3), Kansas City (No. 6) and the Los Angeles Rams (No. 9). The Chargers are 24th in the league in scoring defense.

"Any time it happens in any aspect of your life job-wise (there's disappointment), but in the same breath that's the NFL, you get going,'' Webb said. "Been a backup QB, been up and down before, that's kind of how it goes.''

Payton had called Webb "a gifted coach'' when he announced early in the offseason his decision to have Webb call plays. Webb interviewed for both head coaching and offensive coordinator jobs elsewhere in the offseason.

And even Thursday, as he announced he would call plays, Payton said Webb is a future head coach in the league.

But throughout the first four weeks of the season Payton has also consistently said he's been frustrated with the team's lack of consistency in the run game as well as their difficulties on first down that has often put the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations.

The Broncos are near the bottom of the league rankings in scoring (27th), total yards per game (27th), rushing yards per game (29th), passing yards per game (20th), QBR (23rd) and Offensive EPA (22nd at -7.48). Only six teams have had more three-and-out possessions than the Broncos this season as 27.5% of their possessions have ended with three downs and a punt.

Nix's play has also been a concern. He is currently 22nd in the league QBR (46.1) and 27th in average air yards per attempt (5.9) as the lack of big plays on offense has become a four-game trend.

The Broncos, overall, are 29th in the league in plays of 20 or more yards and 30th in explosive plays with 16 (runs of at least 10 yards and pass plays of at least 20 yards). Payton said Thursday he hoped the change would repair some issues and those fixes would then help Nix.

Webb said Friday he thinks the offense is "so close'' to making some of those big plays and that he was "looking forward to see how we respond'' against the Chargers. Given Payton has such a long tenure as a play-caller in the NFL previously, Webb was asked Friday if he had considered Payton taking back play-calling when he accepted Payton's promotion to offensive coordinator earlier this year.

"I taught myself early to think about the best- and worst-case scenarios,'' Webb said. "And if you're OK with both, then take that job on. It is what it is, nothing I can do about it now except be the best offensive coordinator I can be and that's what I'm trying to do.''