Sources: Payton to expand role in more collaborative playcalling approach

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  Jeff LegwoldOct 8, 2026, 12:18 PM ET

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  Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos will take a more collaborative playcalling approach Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers as the team looks to kickstart a sputtering offense, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Coach Sean Payton, who surrendered the playcalling duties to first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb during the offseason, will have an increased role in the gameday operation, the sources said. Webb is expected to still be on the headset as the voice quarterback Bo Nix hears before each play.

Payton, who has remained a large presence in the game-planning and offensive meetings even after ceding playcalling to Webb earlier this year, is expected to be more active on the headsets before, and during, the Broncos' possessions than he has been in the first four games. He has previously described the decision-making process through the week with, "I'll be involved, this is still our offense, the Broncos offense.''

Asked Wednesday if four games constituted a big enough sample size to determine if he might be a better option to call plays to snap out of the early season struggles, Payton said: "I think our focus needs to be more on the specific and the detail of each play regardless [of who's calling the plays]. I think Davis is very fast, very quick and understands what we're doing.

"I think that the most important job I have is really evaluating the whys. I think, collectively, we all after a game, and after a four-game sample size, certainly this isn't championship football, what we see. How quickly can we correct those things?''

Payton has repeatedly said in recent weeks he's been frustrated with the team's lack of consistency in the run game as well as their difficulties on first down that has consistently put the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations.

The Broncos (2-2) are near the bottom of the league rankings in scoring (27th), total yards per game (27th), rushing yards per game (29th), passing yards per game (20th), QBR (23rd) and Offensive EPA (22nd at -7.48). Only six teams have had more three-and-out possessions than the Broncos this season as 27.5% of their possessions have ended with three plays and a punt.

Nix is also currently ranked 22nd in QBR (46.1) and 27th in average air yards per attempt (5.9) as the lack of big plays on offense has become a four-game trend. The Broncos, overall, are 29th in the league in plays of 20 or more yards and 30th in explosive plays with 16 (runs of at least 10 yards and pass plays of at least 20 yards).

Payton said Wednesday he believes it all tracks to "the details, the little things,'' rather than some substantial shift in approach on offense as the team prepares to face the Chargers (0-4) Sunday in SoFi Stadium.

"The inconsistencies, the details, the little things,'' Payton said Wednesday. "... Let's focus on the attention to detail and the rest will follow.''

Payton doesn't normally speak publicly to the media on Thursdays, but Webb and the team's other coordinators will speak after practice.