The Davis Webb experiment is over.
Webb, who was promoted to offensive coordinator in the offseason and given the keys to the game car, will have those keys revoked this weekend, when the Broncos face the Chargers.
Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Stokley, now part of 104.3 The Fan’s morning show in Denver, was the first to let the cat out of the bag. “I heard Sean Payton is I will resume play calls this week”Stokley tweeted Wednesday evening.
We have since confirmed that, indeed, Payton will be calling the plays again.
It took several weeks, dating back to Week 1’s disastrous offensive performance against the Chiefs. In the 31-10 loss, Denver, as a team, had fewer yards from scrimmage (176) than Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III had in his debut with the team (191).
A second-half surge against the Jaguars in Week 2 temporarily fixed the situation. In the second half of the Week 3 game against the Rams, which Denver led 16-0, many were watching for indications that Payton had reclaimed the playmaker role for the second half. Once again, the Broncos turned things around without Payton making the change.
In Week 4, a 3-3 halftime tie turned into a double-digit victory for the 49ers. And that apparently sparked the decision to shake things up.
The timing makes sense. The Broncos will face the potentially overmatched Chargers this weekend, before Thursday night’s Week 6 showdown against the Seahawks. The move now gives Payton an opportunity to find his sea legs before a very important prime-time game that carries the subplot of that bizarre story from two weeks ago, when Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s not-quite-recorded remarks to Graham Bensinger lifted the curtain on a dust-up that emerged after the Seahawks and Broncos played in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
If the Broncos hope to once again compete for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the margin for error has already narrowed. Last year, the Broncos finished 14-3. After four matches, they are already one loss away from matching last year’s total number of losses.
That said, the 2025 Broncos started 1-2. They responded by winning 11 straight. However, based on what we’ve seen through four games in 2026, another winning streak is unlikely – without the change Payton makes.
Ultimately, this is Payton’s team. He needs to do whatever he thinks he needs to do to help the Broncos reach the high bar for 2026 that was created by their success in 2025. And time is running out. Strong.
Gn sports
