The Broncos are making a notable adjustment to their offense heading into this week’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, and the shift is centered on Sean Payton.
Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan host Brandon Stokley surfaced the change first on Wednesday night, saying Payton “was more involved last week calling plays and I’m hearing he’ll be more involved this week.”
By Thursday morning, that report had been backed up nationally. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said he had confirmed “that, indeed, Payton will be calling the plays again.”
Then came matching updates at 10:00 a.m. MT from Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, both pointing to the same direction: a more collaborative setup with Payton taking a bigger hand in the offensive operation while Davis Webb remains heavily involved.
The Broncos are taking a more collaborative play-calling approach this week with HC Sean Payton having an increased role in the process and OC Davis Webb continuing with a significant game-planning and game-day role, per sources. Denver is looking to spark its offense ahead of… pic.twitter.com/6y2jHZTaYn
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2026
#Broncos coach Sean Payton will be more heavily involved in offensive play-calling this week, sources told me and @MikeGarafolo.
The process will remain collaborative, with OC Davis Webb continuing to be a major voice on game day & during the week. But Payton will have say. pic.twitter.com/H7YBs1k4vt
- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 8, 2026
Schefter and Rapoport both described the arrangement as collaborative, with Webb still carrying a major role in game-planning and on game day. It’s a change that comes after Webb called plays for the first time in his career through the first four games.
The timing isn’t hard to understand. Denver is 2-2, but the offense has been stuck in neutral. The Broncos had to rally in the second half against both the Jaguars and Rams just to avoid an 0-4 start, and the production has lagged badly through four weeks.
The numbers tell the story. Denver is averaging 18.5 points per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Its 280.3 yards per game also sit 27th.
Webb is scheduled to meet with the media Thursday after practice, and he’ll have plenty to answer for regarding the change. Payton won’t speak with reporters again until Friday, when this will almost certainly be the main topic.
Next up is a Chargers team that still doesn’t have a win, and Denver is obviously trying to keep it that way. The hope is simple: with Payton taking on more of the play-calling load, the Broncos can get a jolt on offense.
It’s a significant pivot only four games into the Webb era, but that’s where things stand in a Super Bowl window. Everything is on the table.
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