Broncos’ Sean Payton confirms suspicions on major shift heading into 2026 with huge admission at the NFL Combine
Sean Payton left nothing to the imagination.
If quarterback Bo Nix had been healthy, the Broncos would have gone to the Super Bowl. That’s a hill that I am willing to die on. After the divisional round win against the Buffalo Bills, Broncos Country was riding high, thinking that they had what it takes to reach the Super Bowl.
Disaster struck, and the rest is history, as they say. Now the team looks forward to the 2026 season.
Head coach Sean Payton was speaking to the media at the NFL Combine and provided a huge admission about what’s to come in 2026. It’s a radical change from what the team has previously operated out of, but it wasn’t too surprising if you’ve had a pulse on the organization.
Some changes are coming to Denver’s offense in 2026
Payton confirmed that recently promoted offensive coordinator Davis Webb will be the play-caller.
“He’s extremely talented,” Payton said. “It’s something that he’ll be really good at it. Man, it’s like, ‘Would you give up play-calling?’ I would only do that if I felt like it would help our team. I’ll still be involved with what we do offensively, just like what we do defensively. But I do think he has a gift. He’s real sharp. I’m glad he’s on our staff.”
It’ll be the first time in his career that Webb is calling plays for the entire season after serving as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach for a handful of seasons, before adding passing game coordinator to his title before the 2024 season. Payton alluded to the fact that the decision was made to “benefit our team” and that decision started back in the 2025 season.
Fans may remember that Webb did have a crack at playcalling in the team’s preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals, where the offense was humming. 562 total yards and averaging 7.8 yards per play in the win, all while scoring 24 first-half points. If that was any indication of how Webb is going to perform when the season begins, Broncos Country has to be thrilled. Payton for sure is.
“Listen, I’m looking forward to it,” Payton said. “I challenged him in the offseason prior to that preseason game. He did a good job. But I think it will help us, and certainly I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it was going to help our team win. You get to a point where you’re focused strictly on improving your team any way you can [ . . . ] there’s trust with his ability and trust in our relationship.”
This isn’t Payton stepping back; it’s him evolving. If Nix stays healthy and Webb delivers on the promise he flashed last preseason, this offense could take another leap in 2026. Payton doesn’t hand over the keys lightly, and the fact that he’s doing it now tells you everything you need to know about how highly he views Webb.
The Broncos were so close, much closer than some people would like to admit.
Now, they’re betting a fresh voice in the headset could be one of the final tweaks needed to get them over the hump. That, and a difference maker on offense, but that’s an entirely different conversation. If it works, this won’t just be a staff adjustment; it’ll be remembered as the moment Denver unlocked its next Super Bowl run.
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