Sean Payton may be ready to reclaim one of the biggest levers in Denver’s offense.
The possibility surfaced on October 7 when former Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley said he had heard Payton would take back play-calling duties in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. “I’m hearing that Sean Payton is going to be taking over play calling this week,” Stokley wrote on X. “Should be an interesting week.”
A day later, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said his group had “confirmed” that Payton would resume calling offensive plays. If that happens, Davis Webb’s run as the Broncos’ offensive play-caller would be over. Denver promoted Webb to offensive coordinator this offseason and handed him those responsibilities, but the setup appears to be headed for a change.
The move would come against the backdrop of a sluggish start. Denver opened the season with a 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and mustered only 176 total yards in that game. Florio pointed to those struggles as the reason the Broncos might be moving back toward Payton running the offense.
The timing also lines up with the schedule. With the Chargers up next in Week 5, the change would give Payton a chance to settle back into the job before Denver turns around quickly for Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.
“Ultimately, it’s Payton’s team,” Florio wrote. “He needs to do whatever he thinks he should do to help the Broncos meet the high bar for 2026 that was created by their success in 2025.
And the clock is ticking. Loudly.”
Not everyone around the team seemed to be hearing the same thing. KOA’s Benjamin Allbright pushed back after Stokley’s report, saying a Broncos source told him, “Saw that - hadn’t heard it and it didn’t look that way in practice.” Allbright later said that source contacted him on Wednesday night and that the message suggested “the whole building wasn’t on the same page.”
Payton, meanwhile, downplayed the conversation around who is actually making the calls. During his October 7 media session, he said, “I think our focus needs to be more on the specifics and the detail of each play regardless,” and added, “I think the most important job I have is, really, evaluating the whys.”
Last season, Denver finished 10th in total offense and 14th in scoring. Through four games this year, the Broncos sit 27th in both categories. Now Payton may be preparing to take direct control as Denver searches for answers.
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