Sean Payton is one of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history, so the Denver Broncos coach giving play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb was a huge storyline heading into 2026. The transition got off to a rough start.
The Broncos offense looked listless throughout Monday's season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver was pass-happy and couldn't protect Bo Nix, who struggled with ball security and decision-making. Payton is not happy with the product his offense put forth, but he stopped short of saying it affected him more because he wasn't calling plays.
"Regardless of who's calling the plays, when you have a game like that and you're the head coach, it's frustrating," Payton said. "It's disappointing. And I don't
know if the feeling's any different if you're calling them or not."
Denver had less total yards (176) than Kenneth Walker III (191) in the 31-10 drubbing. That's simply not good enough for Payton.
Will Sean Payton take over play-calling?
It's doubtful at this point, but if the Broncos' offense keeps sputtering, it wouldn't be shocking to see Payton make a change. Payton already made it clear he'll give Webb "mandates" throughout the season, so the coordinator's leash didn't appear to be the longest in the first place.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will Sean Payton take over Broncos' play-calling after dud vs. Chiefs?
