Broncos OC Davis Webb To Call Plays

After an impressive three-year run as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach, Davis Webb earned a promotion to offensive coordinator three weeks ago. There was initially no word on whether Webb or head coach Sean Payton would call offensive plays, but an answer came Tuesday. Payton revealed that he will pass primary play-calling duties to Webb in 2026, Mike Klis of 9News was among those to report.

While the 62-year-old said he still expects “to call some plays on game days” (via Klis), this move represents a seismic shift for Payton. Over his 18 years on the job (15 in New Orleans, three in Denver), the one-time Super Bowl winner has acted as the main play-caller. He first considered handing off those responsibilities to Webb during the 2025 season, according to James Palmer of The Athletic.

Payton noted that he has full trust in the 31-year-old Webb, a former NFL quarterback. He gave Webb a trial run as the Broncos’ play-caller in a preseason win over the Cardinals last August. While it was just an exhibition game, the results – 27 points, 562 yards – were stellar.

Before the Broncos promoted Webb to replace the fired Joe Lombardi, other teams gave him serious consideration as both a head coach and offensive coordinator candidate. The Ravens, Bills and Raiders all discussed their HC openings with Webb. He reached the second-interview stage with the Raiders before bowing out of the race. The Raiders also joined the Eagles in meeting with Webb for their OC gig.

Returning to Denver for his fourth year, Webb will take on a far bigger role than he had as a QBs coach/passing-game coordinator in 2025. He’ll grab the reins of an offense that ranked 10th in yards and 14th in points during an AFC West-winning season. If Webb holds his own calling plays for the Broncos’ Bo Nix-led offense in 2026, he could be an even more popular candidate in next winter’s HC hiring cycle.