Broncos Want To Extend GM George Paton; Vikings On Radar?
George Paton has completed one of the more interesting GM recovery efforts in recent memory. After a disastrous 2022 offseason that brought the Nathaniel Hackett hire and the Russell Wilson trade/extension sequence, the veteran GM has presided over a Broncos turnaround.
Denver overcame two years of historic Wilson dead money to make the playoffs in both seasons, including a 2025 No. 1 seed and AFC championship game berth. When Paton took over for John Elway in 2021, he signed a six-year contract. That makes 2026 a platform year. Although Paton is technically a lame duck as it stands, the Broncos want to keep his partnership with Sean Payton going long term.
[RELATED: Bo Nix Addresses Sean Payton Injury Comments]
“We’d love to have both of them here long term,’’ Broncos CEO Greg Penner said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “I think the partnership they’ve created and how they work together, it’s very complementary. In terms of their contracts, those are things that we’ll always deal with on a personal basis in private and take that as it comes.”
A recent report indicated the Broncos were eyeing a second Paton contract, and one will need to be worked out soon if the team indeed will keep the Payton-Paton pair together beyond 2026. The longtime NFL exec lost some power when he orchestrated the January 2023 trade for Payton, but the team has done well to rebound. While the Payton-Bo Nix union has led the way, the GM’s round of extensions have been no small part of that.
From 2024-25, the Broncos extended six All-Pro or Pro Bowl players — Patrick Surtain, Quinn Meinerz, Garett Bolles, Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto. All six were honored as All-Pros or Pro Bowlers in 2025, with five of the six receiving one or both those distinctions in 2024 a well. Paton’s 2021 draft class produced Surtain, Meinerz and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper; the latter is also tied to an extension.
The Broncos hired Paton after his lengthy run with the Vikings, who employed him from 2012-20. Paton served as Vikings assistant GM from 2015-20, becoming a regular GM candidate in that span. A year after removing his name from Browns consideration, Paton took the Broncos’ job. The Vikings now have a GM vacancy, having fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday. With his Broncos contract not yet extended, Paton’s name has floated in connection with a potential Minnesota return, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis note. Paton still has strong relationships with Minnesota, per The Athletic.
Paton, 55, was Rick Spielman‘s top lieutenant with the Vikings. He was there long enough to cover the Brett Favre seasons all the way to Kirk Cousins‘ second Vikes contract. The franchise made the playoffs with five different starting quarterbacks from 2009-19. The Vikings hired Paton from the Dolphins in 2006.
Considering the success the Broncos have begun to achieve with this regime, it would surprise if the team let its GM out of the building. Despite Payton having no relationship with Paton upon arrival in 2023, the veteran HC has spoken well of his partnership with the GM since. The Broncos would have to grant the Vikings permission to interview Paton, since the hire would be a lateral move. But Minnesota interest could give the sixth-year GM some leverage as he prepares for extension talks in Denver.
Broncos Promote Davis Webb To OC
The Broncos have taken the expected route regarding their offensive coordinator position. Davis Webb has been promoted to the role, per a team announcement. 
Denver also announced on Monday that offensive quality control coach Logan Kilgore has been promoted to quarterbacks coach. Webb previously held that role, and his success resulted in widespread head coaching and coordinator interest around the league. To prevent a departure, the Broncos created an OC opening recently by firing Joe Lombardi.
Since that time, many have expected Webb to be promoted as Lombardi’s replacement. A formal interview took place yesterday, paving the way for Monday’s news. Attention will now turn to the matter of play-calling duties. Head coach Sean Payton has called plays for each of his three years in Denver, but ceding those responsibilities to Webb may have been necessary to keep him in the building.
At the age of 31, Webb is less experienced than many of the staffers who received interviews during this year’s hiring cycle. The former NFL QB has nevertheless seen his stock rise sharply over the course of his Broncos tenure, which began in 2023 as part of Payton’s first Denver staff. Webb worked as the team’s quarterbacks coach since arriving, and in 2025 he had pass-game coordinator added to his title.
During the early portion of this year’s hiring cycle, the Ravens and Bills interviewed Webb for their head coaching vacancies. A follow-up with the Raiders also took place in his case, but he withdrew from consideration. Shortly thereafter, Vegas reached an agreement with Klint Kubiak to become the team’s new head coach.
On the coordinator front, Webb was the subject of interview requests from the Ravens, Giants and Eagles for their OC openings. The vacancies in Baltimore and Philadelphia have been filled, but New York is still in search of a new coordinator to pair with John Harbaugh. Webb represented a potential target with Todd Monken landing the Browns’ HC gig, but that is no longer the case.
Webb has played a leading role in Bo Nix‘s development. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist did not make a major jump in terms of statistical output in his second season, but he was of course a key reason why Denver secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Nix’s absence was certainly felt during the Broncos’ loss in the conference championship game. Provided his recovery from ankle surgery goes as planned, Nix will be fully healed in time for offseason work. That period will be critical, as it will mark the first series of spring and summer practices with Webb in place as OC.
Kilgore also joined the Broncos as part of Payton’s initial staff in 2023. He served as a quality control coach for three years, spending time in particular with Denver’s tight ends and returners along the way. Kilgore will now step into an elevated role as Webb’s successor, but Payton will have a number of familiar faces on his staff for next season.
Broncos Expected To Promote Davis Webb To OC
10:59pm: Webb has now conducted a formal interview for the OC spot, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports. That makes him the third candidate to speak with Denver about the position and paves the way for a promotion to officially take place.
8:00am: One of this year’s popular coaching candidates appears to be staying put. Multiple sources tell Mike Klis of 9News.com that Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb will remain in Denver and will become the club’s new offensive coordinator following Joe Lombardi’s dismissal.
The Broncos narrowly missed advancing to this year’s Super Bowl despite being forced to start Jarrett Stidham under center in the AFC Championship Game due to QB1 Bo Nix’s fractured ankle. Nix has been the team’s starting passer in each of the last two years, and although Denver booked two playoff berths during that time and secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2025, head coach Sean Payton felt an OC change was necessary.
There could be another fundamental shift on the horizon. As Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes, Webb has developed a reputation as an “offensive wizard, and quarterback whisperer,” and recent reports suggested Payton may have to cede his play-calling duties to Webb in order to keep his young protege on his staff. Payton has called the offensive plays since arriving in Denver in 2023 and held the same responsibility as the Saints’ HC for many years before that.
Payton sounded amenable to such a change several weeks ago.
“As you get older, you think about all the ramifications. It was said as you get older, maybe you don’t drive in the rain at night. You begin to… I can’t let that happen as a play caller,” Payton said (via Renck). “That’s something that I have to mentally make sure it’s quick.”
Teams around the league are intrigued by Webb’s upside as an offensive guru. The Giants and Eagles were interested in him as a play-calling OC in this year’s coaching carousel, and though he just turned 31, he took head coaching interviews with the Bills, Raiders, and Ravens. He was even considered a finalist for the Las Vegas gig before he withdrew from consideration.
That withdrawal suggested Webb would stay with the Broncos for at least the 2026 season, and signs are pointing in that direction. Whether he will have the opportunity to begin building his play-calling resume remains to be seen. Thus far, as Renck observes, Webb has called plays just once: during a preseason game in August.
In 2025, the Broncos finished 10th in total offense and 14th in scoring. As our coordinator tracker shows, they have also interviewed Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry and Commanders pass-game coordinator Brian Johnson for the OC post.
Broncos Notes: Nix, Free Agency, Dobbins, Strnad, Von
The latest reporting on Broncos quarterback Bo Nix indicated he will be medically cleared by the time OTAs open in May. However, Denver head coach Sean Payton’s comments on Nix’s fractured ankle led to some consternation among the team’s fanbase.
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed where they always find a little bit more when they go in and it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when,” Payton said. “When you look at the play, the surgeon said this was going to happen sooner than later.”
Payton’s use of the word “predisposed” created the belief that Nix may be more susceptible than most to this type of injury, particularly since the soon-to-be 26-year-old has undergone two prior surgeries on the same ankle. Nix himself subsequently refuted that notion.
According to Nix, there is “nothing predisposed” in his ankle, and he said there is no concern that the ankle will impact him in the future (via Luca Evans of the Denver Post). He went on to say that Payton’s statement may have been misinterpreted, and that he does not have a longstanding or chronic issue. Rather, a source tells Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post that in this case, the “predisposition” simply meant that a fracture had already started to develop in Nix’s ankle before it reached the breaking point in the waning stages of the Broncos’ divisional-round victory over the Bills.
Nix also pointed out that, counting his last two seasons in college, he had played in roughly 60 straight games before he was forced to miss last week’s AFC Championship Game. That supports his belief that his durability will not be an issue going forward.
Only time will tell, but in the meantime, the Broncos have now turned their attention to the offseason and readying themselves for another playoff run. At present, Denver is currently in the middle of the pack in terms of projected 2026 cap room ($28.5MM, per OverTheCap.com). As Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette relays, CEO Greg Penner said his club will be “opportunistically aggressive” in free agency, and while Penner did not offer specifics, it is fair to expect a team with a rookie-contract quarterback under center to be an active buyer.
Although the Broncos finished second in the NFL with 37 drops in 2025, both Payton and GM George Paton indicated they are happy with their collection of wide receivers (via Evans). That group is fronted by veteran stalwart Courtland Sutton and otherwise includes promising but largely unproven talent like Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims. Franklin was unable to play in the AFCCG because of a hamstring injury, and Bryant left the game early due to a hamstring malady of his own. That left backup signal-caller Jarrett Stidham with midseason pickups Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Elijah Moore as his top WRs behind Sutton, and the receiving corps dropped three passes in the contest.
That said, Payton believes the issue is one of technique, not talent, and he thinks an increased emphasis on the proper way to catch a football will make a meaningful difference. Paton likewise suggests the proper pass-catching personnel is in place, and he does not believe the receivers who were available at the 2025 trade deadline would have moved the needle a great deal.
However, it does appear the running back depth chart could get some attention. No stranger to injured reserve, J.K. Dobbins was enjoying a strong first year in Denver until a Lisfranc injury cut his campaign short after 10 games. He had posted a 5.0-YPC average and four touchdowns on 153 carries prior to the injury, but rookie RJ Harvey averaged just 3.3 yards per carry after taking over RB1 duties. The club did not rush for more than 80 yards in either of its two postseason contests and did not average four or more yards per carry in six of its final nine games of the year.
Evans suggests the team could opt to bring back Dobbins – who has expressed a desire to return – or look to the draft for RB reinforcements. One way or another, Payton acknowledged that improvement in the running game will be a top agenda item.
Denver will also have to sort out its inside linebacker situation, as both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are eligible for free agency. Strnad played exclusively on special teams over the 2022-23 seasons but participated in over half of the Broncos’ defensive snaps in each of the last two years due to injuries to other players in the LB room. He played well in 2025, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 25th out of 88 qualified ‘backers. He believes he has proven his worth as a starter and is therefore seeking a multiyear contract that would give him a starting opportunity (via Tomasson).
Strnad, 29, says he would like to remain in Denver, but he acknowledges he may have to seek a new employer if the team elects to retain Singleton, who recently turned 32. Dre Greenlaw, who signed a three-year deal with the Broncos last offseason, will occupy one of the starting ILB spots.
If he has it his way, Von Miller will return to the Broncos to perhaps put a bow on his Hall of Fame career. Now 36 (37 in March), Miller was selected by Denver with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2011 draft and remained with the club until the trade deadline of the 2021 season, when he was dealt to the Rams. During his Mile High tenure, he racked up 110.5 sacks, three First Team All-Pro nods, eight Pro Bowl bids, and a Super Bowl ring (he was also named MVP of Super Bowl 50). While he is far removed from his prime, he quietly recorded nine sacks in a rotational role for the Commanders in 2025, thus proving he still has something to offer to a team’s pass-rushing contingent.
Miller reached out to Paton last year to discuss a possible reunion, though he knew the presence of fellow pass rushers Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto would make a Denver contract unlikely. Paton confirmed as much, and while Cooper and Bonitto are still on the roster and attached to big-money deals, Miller is making another plea.
In a recent episode of his Free Range podcast, Miller said, “[a]fter the season, y’all make room for me over there with the Denver Broncos. I would love to be a Denver Bronco next season. … Let’s just rock out, man. Me, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto. Like bro, why not? I had nine sacks… I led probably 20 teams in the NFL in sacks this season” (via Will Petersen of DenverSports.com).
Given the contract statuses of Cooper and Bonitto, Paton may be no more willing to bring Miller back into the fold than he was last year. Miller nonetheless should get an opportunity somewhere, and he will have a chance to leapfrog several more players on the all-time official sacks list. His 138.5 career sacks currently put him in ninth place in the regard, behind Terrell Suggs (139.0), Jason Taylor (139.5), and Michael Strahan (141.5).
The Broncos’ offseason business also included a reshaping of their coaching staff. In addition to the dismissal of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, WRs coach Keary Colbert received his walking papers, as ESPN’s Jeff Legwold reported (which is perhaps no surprise in light of Payton’s comments on the need for his wideouts to improve their technique). The team also fired CBs coach Addison Lynch.
Denver also lost senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael Jr. and defensive pass-game coordinator Jim Leonhard to the Bills, with whom they will serve as offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, respectively. Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb is in line for a promotion to OC to replace Lombardi.
Bills To Hire Jim Leonhard As DC
After starting his NFL playing career in Buffalo in 2005, Jim Leonhard is headed back to western New York. The Bills are expected to hire the 43-year-old as their defensive coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Leonhard spent the last two seasons in Denver as their defensive pass game coordinator. He additionally held the title of defensive backs coach in 2024 and assistant head coach in 2025. In that time, the Broncos defense has been one of the best in the NFL, ranking second in yards per attempt last year and leading the league this past season. He is the team’s second assistant to join Joe Brady‘s new staff in Buffalo; Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael accepted a job as the Bills’ new offensive coordinator earlier this week.
Leonard has now completed a remarkable rise from walk-on safety at the University of Wisconsin to NFL defensive coordinator. Despite three straight All-Big Ten nods to end his college career – and a strong pedigree as a returner – Leonhard went undrafted in 2005. He signed with the Bills and made the 53-man roster, kicking off a decade-long career that featured stints with five other teams.
Among them were the Broncos, who gave Leonhard his first NFL coaching job, and the Ravens, who requested to interview him for their defensive coordinator vacancy. He also interviewed with the Cowboys, Chargers, and Jets, but they all went with other candidates. Instead, he will join Brady in Buffalo as the play-caller for a Bills defense that was one of the league’s best from 2021 to 2023 but faltered in the last two years.
The Bills’ coaching jobs were viewed as some of the most desirable in the league due to the franchise’s recent success and the presence of star quarterback Josh Allen. But a closer look at the roster reveals significant holes. The defensive line features only two proven impact players in Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver, veteran linebackers Matt Milano and Joey Bosa are set to hit free agency, and the secondary either needs more veteran depth or some development from their younger players.
Leonhard can certainly address that final issue right away. A number of Broncos defensive backs have taken significant steps forward under Leonhard, including cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian. Safety Talanoa Hufanga earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2025, his first year in Denver, and Patrick Surtain won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
Leonhard starting his coaching career at his alma mater in 2016. After a year as defensive backs coach, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and eventually served as the interim head coach in 2022. He then spent a year at Illinois as an analyst before joining Sean Payton‘s staff in Denver.
Bills To Hire Pete Carmichael Jr. As OC
Just a couple days into his tenure as the Bills’ head coach, Joe Brady has already found his offensive coordinator. The team has agreed to terms with Pete Carmichael Jr., Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
Carmichael, who spent the past two years as a senior offensive assistant with the Broncos, has worked with Brady in the past. The two were on Sean Payton‘s staff in New Orleans from 2017-18, when Carmichael was the Saints’ offensive coordinator and Brady served as an offensive assistant.
This will be the second NFL O-coordinator job for the 54-year-old Carmichael, who held the post in New Orleans from 2009-23. Carmichael won’t call the plays in Buffalo, however, as Brady will continue handling those duties in 2026.
Brady has run the Bills’ offense since taking over for the fired Ken Dorsey midway into the 2023 season. The Bills promoted the 36-year-old to head coach on Tuesday to replace the ousted Sean McDermott.
Brady will have a lot on his plate as a rookie head coach, but the hiring of Carmichael will add a trusted and experienced voice to his offensive staff. Carmichael began his NFL career as a tight ends coach and offensive assistant in Cleveland in 2000. He went on to serve in various positions with the then-Redskins and Chargers before Payton, then a rookie HC, tabbed him as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach in 2006.
Carmichael spent the vast majority of his 18-year Saints tenure working with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. He’ll now join a team with another superstar signal-caller in Josh Allen, who was at the helm of an offense that finished fourth in scoring and yards in 2025. The Bills also had the league’s leading rusher in James Cook, though the receiver position was a problem throughout the campaign.
Slot target Khalil Shakir was the only wideout on the team to reach the 700-yard mark during the season. He continued as the Bills’ most productive option during a two-game playoff run that ended with a 33-30 loss to Carmichael and the Broncos in the divisional round.
The Bills likely expected second-year receiver Keon Coleman, the 33rd pick in 2024, to take a step forward. Instead, though, Coleman caught just 38 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Professionalism has been an issue for Coleman, who was a healthy scratch on four occasions in 2025.
After the firing of McDermott, owner Terry Pegula revealed “the coaching staff pushed to draft Keon.” General manager Brandon Beane then took ownership of the pick in saying it was his decision. Regardless, Coleman’s future in Buffalo seemed in doubt after Pegula publicly called him out. Now, though, it appears the soon-to-be 23-year-old will remain part of the Bills’ receiving corps next season.
“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said Thursday (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN). “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman.”
If we’re to take Brady’s comments at face value, Coleman will be among the players he and Carmichael work with in 2026. Meanwhile, with the loss of Carmichael, Payton and the Broncos are now in position to replace multiple offensive staffers after falling one win shy of a Super Bowl. Payton fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Monday. Bills QBs coach Ronald Curry is among the candidates to become the Broncos’ OC, though it’s unclear if Brady considered him for the same job before he hired Carmichael.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/30/26
Friday’s only reserve/futures deal from around the NFL:
Denver Broncos
After a seven-year collegiate career at Oregon State, Robinson’s rookie campaign came and went without him coming off the practice squad. He’ll be back in Denver for the offseason with the aim of making the team in Year 2.
Broncos Interview Brian Johnson For OC Job
The Broncos have interviewed Commanders assistant coach Brian Johnson for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Johnson, 38, currently holds the position of assistant head coach and offensive passing game coordinator in Washington. He was previously the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach (2021-2022), working closely with Jalen Hurts as he became a Pro Bowler. He then served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2023 and led his unit to the seventh-most yards and the eighth-most points in the league.
Though that was a strong performance, it still represented regression from Philadelphia’s third-ranked offense in 2022 under Shane Steichen, who was hired away by the Colts. The Eagles also only scored nine points in their wild card loss to the Buccaneers in the 2023 postseason. Nick Sirianni relieved Johnson of his duties and replaced him with Kellen Moore, whose offense finished with the exact same ranks as Johnson’s. Moore did find far more success in the playoffs in 2024, including 40- and 55-point showings in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl.
Johnson’s arrival in Washington certainly seemed to help Jayden Daniels get settled in the NFL. Though the Commanders leaned on their run game for much of the season, Daniels emerged as a pro-ready passer right away. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and mounted four fourth-quarter comebacks and four game-winning drives, largely through the air.
Johnson’s success with Hurts and Daniels are likely a primary factor in the Broncos’ interest. Bo Nix did not show much progress in 2025 with similar statistics to his rookie campaign, so Denver may be interest in Johnson’s ability to kickstart Nix’s development.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures contracts on Thursday. Here are the latest updates:
Denver Broncos
- OT Marques Cox, C Michael Deiter, G Nash Jones, DT Kristian Williams
Detroit Lions
- TE Thomas Gordon
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR A.T. Perry
Davis Webb Withdraws From Raiders’ HC Search
Davis Webb entered Thursday a finalist for the Raiders’ HC position, but he is no longer interested in the job. The Broncos’ quarterbacks coach is withdrawing his name from consideration, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Webb is up for a few OC posts — including the Broncos’ now-vacant gig — but he will wait at least a year for more HC consideration. This is certainly an interesting move given Webb’s lack of experience. He has yet to call plays, but the recently retired quarterback may have that opportunity soon.
The Giants and Ravens have requested interviews with Webb, as the Eagles did. Philadelphia has since hired another recently retired backup, Sean Mannion, as their offensive play-caller. Webb met with the Ravens about their HC position but has not spoken with the Giants just yet. A meeting with one of his former teams appears on tap, but after the Broncos fired Joe Lombardi, an OC opening exists on Webb’s current team. Will the Broncos be able to keep him without play-calling responsibilities?
This sets the stage for Klint Kubiak, who appears a certainty to receive an offer from the Raiders. Kubiak is believed to be the Vegas favorite, but the Cardinals are set for a second interview with the Seattle OC as well. Both meetings are coming Saturday. This could put Kubiak to a Vegas/Arizona/Seattle choice, as he could decide to pass on this year’s cycle for potentially better 2027 openings.
Coaching Bo Nix for the past two seasons and helping to elevate Russell Wilson (following a disastrous Denver debut) in 2023, Webb earned the title of pass-game coordinator entering the 2025 season. Nix piloted the Broncos to the No. 1 seed and the AFC championship game. Webb could be preparing to face Kubiak’s Seahawks had Nix stayed healthy, but the Broncos were unable to pull off a conference championship upset with Jarrett Stidham at the helm. Still, Webb appears set for a move to an OC role — be it in Denver or somewhere else.
It would be interesting for the Broncos to fire Lombardi without a decent idea if Webb would accept the OC role. Some among the Broncos are concerned the Broncos will not be able to keep Webb long term without dangling a play-calling role (Sean Payton calls the plays in Denver and was at the controls for 15 seasons in New Orleans). The Raiders, Ravens and Bills interviewing Webb for their HC openings this year, though, would make him a strong 2027 candidate. Where Webb lands as an OC is one of the top storylines left in this year’s cycle, as the Giants or Ravens could offer a play-calling role.