Bo Nix knows the ripple effect of Sean Payton taking back the Broncos’ play-calling duties, and the part that stings most has nothing to do with his own role.
According to Payton, Nix was disappointed for Davis Webb, his close friend and coach, after Webb lost the play-calling responsibilities just four games into the season. Payton said the quarterback felt like he had let a teammate down.
“Everyone’s a little disappointed because you feel like you let one of your teammates down," Payton said when asked what Nix's reaction to the news was. "That’s the human part of it. That’s our game a little bit in this league.”
Webb’s rise has been one of the more notable coaching stories around the league. Four years into his NFL coaching career, he has drawn head-coaching interest in each of the past two hiring cycles, and this was supposed to be another big step forward for him. Nix wanted that for him, and the quarterback did not want to be part of anything that might slow that climb.
That’s what makes the disappointment understandable. Nix isn’t upset to be back working directly with Payton.
He just knows what this shift means for Webb, especially when it comes to his standing around the league. There’s even a possible long-term upside for Webb here, since this change could keep him in Denver beyond 2026 if the Broncos rebound and reach the playoffs.
Still, that’s not how the season was supposed to unfold for the two of them.
Instead, Denver opened with a brutal stretch, facing the league’s four best teams in a row to start the year. That’s a heavy lift for any offense, and even more so for a first-time play-caller in his fourth year coaching in the NFL.
The Broncos have looked rough, and at times flat-out bad, on offense. But they’re 2-2, not 0-4, and two wins against that opening gauntlet matter more than just moral victories.
Now the focus shifts to Nix, who has to move past the disappointment and respond when the Broncos face the Los Angeles Chargers this week. Webb will still be around, still in the meetings, still on the sideline with Nix and quarterbacks coach Logan Kilgore. The voice in Nix’s ear is simply Payton’s again.
If anything, this change may help Nix most. He and Payton have already built plenty together, and the veteran coach clearly believes taking back control gives the offense its best chance to get right.
There’s been plenty of speculation that Payton’s move was really about getting Nix back on track, since benching the quarterback was never the realistic option. He could, however, change the play-caller. Still, Nix has not been nearly as disastrous as some of that chatter suggests.
Against the NFL’s best early opponents, he has gone 2-2 while throwing for 819 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions and a lost fumble. His 60% completion rate would be a career low if it holds, and that number is especially jarring given how many of his throws have been check-downs to running backs. He has looked cautious, reluctant to attack downfield and too focused on avoiding mistakes.
Payton said the decision was not simply about fixing Nix.
“No," Payton said on whether this is about fixing Nix. "Bo is the by-product of a lot of things at that position. Hopefully that will be one of the things that can happen, but there are a lot of other things that I think can allow that to happen first.”
Those other things start up front. A better offensive line would help ease the pressure Nix has faced this season, even though he has been sacked only five times, the second-fewest in the NFL.
Denver also needs a more credible run game to keep him out of third-and-long situations, and J.K. Dobbins is due for a big outing after doing plenty of damage with Payton calling plays last season before his injury.
Nix’s best work has come with Payton designing the offense, too. His first two seasons featured plenty of success, enough that Broncos fans already know what that partnership can look like when it’s clicking.
Payton said he had to reclaim the play-calling to get the offense moving and to help Nix play like a franchise quarterback. Even so, he stressed more than once on Thursday that Webb’s future remains bright.
"I’m going to go back to what I said earlier relative to his talent," Payton said of Webb. "It’s rare.
He’s gifted. It’s all ahead of him, I’m talking about Davis.”
Webb is expected to speak Friday, and Payton said he “will be fantasitc” at the podium.
For now, though, the Broncos have bigger concerns than the fallout from one coaching change. They need to clean up the offense, and the Chargers offer the next chance to do it. Los Angeles is 0-4, but Nix’s only career win against them came late last season when Jim Harbaugh rested Justin Herbert and many of his key starters.
The Chargers are banged up on both sides of the ball and desperate, which means Denver has to treat this like a serious test. Nix has a real chance to pick up his first win at SoFi Stadium and give Payton the response he’s looking for.
If that happens, the Broncos move to 3-2 and set up a Thursday Night Football meeting with the World Champion Seattle Seahawks. For now, though, the task is simple: handle this week first.
Take it by the inch, it’s a cinch. By the yard, it gets hard.
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