If Sean Payton's return to play-calling doesn't cure Broncos offense, what then?

Denver has had a less-than satisfying start to the 2026 season. At 2-2, the Broncos aren’t in any real trouble, as their season is still very much headed in the right direction. How they get there, though, will determine if this season can continue trending toward contention or fall apart in a division that’s somewhat open. The problem is, Denver’s offense looks nothing like it did in 2025. The biggest difference is Sean Payton relinquished his playcalling duties this year and handed them over to Davis Webb. After four games, he’s yanking them back.

While Payton does have to do something to generate some offensive momentum, there’s no guarantee this move will actually work. So what happens if it doesn’t? Denver’s season isn’t quite hanging on a thread, but its offense is. Payton is trying to be the savior, but if he can’t, he’ll have some serious questions to answer if Denver wants to get back to the AFC title game.

Why the offense is struggling in 2026

Denver has a bottom-of-the-barrel offense this season, ranking 27th in points and 28th in yards gained. This is a significant drop-off from the 2025 season, where Denver was top 15 in both categories. Yes, the biggest difference is the person calling the plays. But how much of Denver’s problems this season stem from the playcaller? Have defenses figured out how to attack Bo Nix? According to Broncos Wire, it might be on the scheme. 

Denver hasn’t had an offense that drives the ball down the field. They’ve been a dink-and-dunk kind of offense, which would explain the inconsistencies. It’s hard to stretch the defense when you can’t run the ball. It’s even harder to have success in the pass game when defenses don’t fear your run game. The Broncos gave up a first-round pick to land Jaylen Waddle and he hasn’t been the deep ball threat you’d expect him to be. 

Maybe that’s why Payton is taking over playcalling duties. He isn’t a magical playcaller that’s going to draw up some elaborate schemes. He’s going to diversify the playcalling to incorporate the run game while also designing plays to get chunk yards. 

Why Sean Payton taking over playcalling is a last ditch effort

There’s no guarantee that Payton taking back playcalling will actually work or solve the problems Denver’s offense is facing. It could work, but what if it doesn’t? It’s a drastic move that could backfire if it doesn’t work. For context, the Broncos’ offense was this slow to start last year too, at least Nix was. He didn’t have his first 300-yard passing game until Week 4 against Cincinnati and then proceeded to have seven games with 240 or more passing yards over the next 13 games. 

This is a long season and drastic decisions seldom work out. Payton is right to make a change. This could backfire though. He is a good playcaller and obviously knows how to build a scheme conducive for Nix to succeed. That doesn’t mean this change will save this offense. 

What happens if this change doesn’t solve Denver’s offensive woes?

The short-game approach to the offense isn’t bad, but the reason it’s crippling that side of the ball right now is because the defense has been miserable to start this season. Denver has had some offensive problems, but this defense covered up a lot of those problems in 2025. This year, the Broncos have the 28th-ranked defense through the first month of the season. They had the No. 2 defense, per Pro Football Reference, in 2025. When your defense can’t slow teams down like it did a year ago, that puts the pressure on the offense. Right now, the offense can’t handle that pressure. 

It’s Payton’s job to figure that out. If taking over the playcalling doesn’t change this offense, what’s left for the Broncos? The first thing they have to do is find a way to get the running game going. Whether they believe in JK Dobbins or RJ Harvey to get it going or turn to the trade market, they have to get that part of the game rolling. Nothing else will matter. 

If Payton pulling the emergency brake on playcalling doesn’t jumpstart this offense — and the running game remains nonexistent — he and his Broncos team won’t have any more excuses. It won’t just close the championship window; it will bring real questions about whether this offense can truly contend.

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