The Denver Broncos may be on the brink of a notable offensive shift under head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos recently elevated Davis Webb from offensive pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, a move that immediately sparked questions about who will take over the team’s play-calling duties for the 2026 season. After all, Payton has personally called plays throughout his head-coaching career. But, NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently suggested that Payton may be open to handing over the reins.

“I don’t think it’s crazy (to talk about Sean Payton giving up play-calling),” Rapoport said on the latest episode of the DNVR Sports podcast. “I think that if you are a play-caller as a head coach, here’s what you’re looking for. Someone you trust that you can hand it over to, so you can just be the CEO of the team – you can be the head coach. And to me, the fact that we’re even talking about it is a very good sign for Davis, because it’s like Sean Payton must trust him enough to even consider.”

“So, like what’s it going to be? I don’t know,” Rapoport added. “My guess is, Sean Payton will be heavily involved in anything play-calling anyway. But like, if someone’s wondering about the future of Davis Webb, you should probably feel pretty good that Payton’s even thinking about thinking that.”

Rapoport suggested that there might be a possible philosophical shift in Sean Payton’s approach to play-calling. While Payton may not be walking away from play-calling entirely, he could be preparing to trust Webb with more autonomy. And why not? Webb has a rising coaching profile, which is closely tied to the development of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. 

Davis Webb also provided a tangible preview of his play-calling capabilities in August last year, when he called plays in the Broncos’ 27–7 preseason game win over the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, the Broncos’ backup quarterbacks threw for a combined 402 passing yards, while the team’s running backs recorded 167 rushing yards in total. After the game, Sean Payton openly praised Webb’s fast tempo and efficiency in calling plays.

Age and workload may also factor into the Broncos HC’s thinking now. Sean Payton will turn 63 during the 2026 season, while Webb is just 31. This also raises the question of whether this is the right moment for Payton to focus more on big-picture management while trusting a younger coach with play-calling duties. Payton himself hinted at that possibility during a January 15 presser, when he reflected on how age has changed his approach to play-calling.

“The thing that I have to continue that changes as you get older is you still have to be quick,’’ Payton said in the presser. “Play just ran, next play. I said this: When I was younger, we’d run a reverse on the 8-yard line, and I think nothing of it. As you get older, you think about all the ramifications. So I have to also remove that.”

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Staying aggressive as a play-caller requires a mental sharpness that, as Sean Payton openly acknowledged, becomes harder with age. At the same time, Webb’s value as a coveted young coach around the NFL has continued to rise. He recently interviewed for head coaching openings with the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Las Vegas Raiders, while also drawing interest for OC roles elsewhere. 

But a host on the DNVR Sports podcast also questioned how realistic those head-coaching interviews were, noting that Webb had not yet served as a coordinator at the time. Rapoport, however, pushed back on that skepticism and explained why teams take those meetings seriously.

“I think first of all, what sometimes happens for coaches that aren’t coordinators is teams will interview them and kind of be trying to take a look at, like, all right, maybe this is my coordinator,” Rapoport said. “I think with Davis, because he’s got like, so much juice, I think it was pretty real. Like, I know the Raiders liked him. I think probably a little too early. It’s okay, but that seemed pretty real to me.”

“Like reality is that being a head coach is so different from being a coordinator,” he added. “Like, as long as you understand all aspects of an organization, it sort of doesn’t really matter, like if you’ve called plays, if you’ve been a coordinator or not.”

Rapoport also stressed that head coaching involves far more than play-calling. This context suggests Payton likely convinced Webb to stay in Denver with a clear path toward play-calling duties. Simultaneously, Payton elevated another key coach on his staff.

Payton taps Arch Manning’s mentor to coach Bo Nix

The Broncos made another notable move aimed directly at Bo Nix’s development. Logan Kilgore, who served as the Broncos’ offensive quality control coach since 2023, is stepping into a much larger role. On February 2, Sean Payton officially named Kilgore the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach.

Payton is surrounding Nix with proven quarterback mentors, bringing in Logan Kilgore, the same coach who famously guided Arch Manning to break his family’s storied high school passing records. Kilgore’s success with a high-profile prospect like Manning signals the level of detailed development Payton expects for Nix.

Under Kilgore’s guidance, Arch shattered his uncle Eli Manning’s Newman school record for career passing yards (7,268) and surpassed Peyton Manning’s high school touchdown mark (93). Arch also finished his senior year with 115 passing touchdowns and later committed to the Texas Longhorns as a five-star recruit.

Then, during his time in Denver from 2023, Kilgore worked with tight ends and special teams returners while juggling his quality control duties. Now, Payton has entrusted Kilgore with guiding Bo Nix’s growth in his third year under center.

This past season, Nix threw for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, leading the Broncos to a 14-3 regular-season record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. However, after Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the Divisional Round game, Denver fell short in the AFC Championship Game. 

Now, as he returns to play in the 2026 season, Bo Nix will work on continuing his development under Kilgore.