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    Shocker: Sean Payton reclaims play-calling duties

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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Broncos are “taking a more collaborative play-calling approach this week with HC Sean Payton having an increased role in the process.”

    That role increase is, of course, Payton’s way of saying he is taking back play-calling duties from OC Davis Webb. Schefter tried to cushion the blow by saying Webb will still have a “significant game-planning and game-day role.” While Schefter didn’t outright say that Payton is now the play-caller, PFT’s Mike Florio reported this morning that Webb is no longer on the headset. It’s one of the most predictable outcomes of the season. Payton is a legendary coach known for his offensive genius. He was always going to take back the play-calling gig the moment things went south, though we doubt he expected it to happen this quickly. The Broncos are a dismal 27th in points per game. They rank slightly better in EPA per play at 21st, but that’s still a disappointing start for this offense.
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  • DEN Coaching Staff
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    Webb took over play-calling duties from Sean Payton this year. The results were disastrous in Week 1. Denver scored 10 points against the Chiefs, Bo Nix was held to 131 yards, and Jaylen Waddle caught one pass all night. It’s a little early for the Broncos to be reminding us that switching to Webb as play-caller wasn’t a bad decision, but the Week 1 results were alarming. If the team continues to struggle on offense, Payton could be back on the headset by midseason.
  • DEN Quarterback #10
    Nix during his postgame presser defended offensive play caller Davis Webb, who took over for head coach Sean Payton this offseason. “The players did not make it easy on [Webb] today,” said Nix, who completed 17-of-28 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Monday night’s loss to Kansas City. “Pretty pitiful, actually.” Denver had the league’s second lowest drop back EPA of Week 1; only the Falcons were worse. Nix, meanwhile, ranked 28th out of 32 qualifying QBs in Week 1 accuracy. “We called exactly what we prepared for and what we wanted to get to and we just didn’t execute,” Nix said. “Then we were behind.” Webb and the Broncos will look to bounce back in Week 2 against a tough Jaguars defense.
  • DEN Head Coach
    Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Payton is now under contract through 2030. Schefter noted that Broncos GM George Paton is also signed through the 2030 season. Payton came out of retirement to coach the Broncos in 2023. His first season with Russell Wilson was a struggle, but Payton has since found his stride with Bo Nix under center. The duo won 10 games in Nix’s rookie season and improved that mark to 14 last year. Had Nix not suffered a season-ending injury in the Divisional Round, Denver likely would have made it past the Patriots en route to a Super Bowl appearance. As expected, the Broncos have no intentions of letting Payton go anytime soon.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    It was rumored to be the case, and inadvertently brought to light by Bills GM Brandon Beane earlier today, but now it is an official known fact. The 31-year-old former quarterback will call plays for the Broncos this season. Per James Palmer, Webb called plays in a preseason game last season and players were “blown away” by Webb. We’re not sure exactly how much this changes the calculus in Denver, but you’d better believe we’ll be hoping to read more about it from the beat writers.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    We’ll believe it when we see it, of course, but it could be a way for the Broncos to continue to hold on to Webb while paying him as if he were a head coach. We have no mathematical data for how a Webb offense would run differently than a Payton one, and would likely be relying on quotes and beat-writer reports until we saw how it would play out on the field. It was already clear the Broncos really didn’t want Webb to get away, but giving him playcalling duties would be another level of dedication to that idea.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    A day after it was reported that Webb was “the leading candidate” to land the Broncos’ offensive coordinator job, the team made it official on Monday. Webb, who fielded multiple offensive coordinator requests this coaching cycle, will remain with the Broncos and finally get a chance to oversee a bit of the offense, although we would assume Payton will remain the team’s primary play-caller. Webb has long been viewed as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks. A few successful year’s as the Broncos’ OC could put him in line for his first head coaching gig.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    Webb, 31, withdrew from the Raiders’ head-coaching search late last week, after progressing through the second round of interviews. He also received requests to interview for the Ravens, Eagles, and Giants’ offensive coordinator vacancies and was previously linked to the Bills’ head-coaching vacancy. Only the Giants’ respective vacancy remains available.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    Webb interviewed for the Bills and Ravens’ head-coaching vacancies as well. Both jobs have been filled. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Webb is considered a “prime candidate” for his current team’s offensive coordinator vacancy. He also received offensive coordinator interview requests from elsewhere.
  • BUF Coaching Staff
    9NEWS’ Mike Klis notes that Broncos head coach Sean Payton was interested in hiring Curry as his offensive coordinator back in 2023. It did not work out. Curry was reportedly one of Payton’s “top” offensive assistants with the Saints from 2016-21.
  • DEN Coaching Staff
    Webb has been interviewing around the head coaching circuit this cycle and is now getting offensive coordinator requests with head coaching jobs filling up. The Ravens interviewed him for head coach and are now interested in bringing him back in to call plays for Lamar Jackson’s offense. John Harbaugh’s Giants may pivot from Todd Monken at offensive coordinator if Monken takes the Browns’ head coaching job, while the Eagles have yet to fill their offensive coordinator position. With the Broncos parting ways with Joe Lombardi, Webb is a candidate for his current employer’s offensive coordinator role as well. Webb is a highly coveted offensive mind who will likely find an offensive coordinator role this offseason and will be a name we hear again in future coaching cycles.

Rotoworld

  • SF Linebacker #57
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    Hearing officer James Thrash upheld 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw’s one-game suspension.

    Greenlaw was suspended after he was ejected for headbutting Seahawks LB Ernest Jones during a sideline scuffle in the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Seahawks. He appealed the suspension, but it has been upheld by hearing officer James Thrash. Greenlaw will miss Week 6 and is in line to return against the Falcons in Week 7.
  • LA Outside Linebacker #95
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    Rams head coach Sean McVay said EDGE Myles Garrett (knee) won’t have his 21-day practice window opened this week.

    Garrett went on injured reserve after Week 1 and is therefore eligible to have his 21-day practice window for activation off IR opened this week. However, McVay said the 30-year-old pass-rusher won’t have his window opened, indicating Garrett is not ready to practice yet and it will still be some time before we see him back on the field. His initial timeline after undergoing a knee scope was roughly six weeks. It’s been four weeks so far, but Garrett could still hit the six-week return timeline if his practice window is opened next week.
  • LAC Quarterback #5
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    Chargers signed QB Jake Browning to the practice squad.

    With Trey Lance hitting injured reserve, the Chargers worked out multiple quarterbacks Tuesday, eventually signing Browning. A former backup to Joe Burrow, Browning lost the Buccaneers’ backup job to Jalon Daniels this offseason. He now joins a Chargers team keen on adding some depth behind Justin Herbert with Lance out and DJ Uiagalelei on the 53-man roster.
  • DEN Cornerback #21
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    Broncos CB Riley Moss (ribs) was listed as a limited practice participant on Tuesday.

    Moss was ruled out of Week 5 against the Chargers but has a chance to play Week 6 against the Seahawks with back-to-back limited practice listings. Meanwhile, S Talanoa Hufanga (ankle) was a DNP for the second straight day. With Patrick Surtain (ankle) still out in the short term, the Broncos’ banged-up secondary may have a tough time against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and company on Thursday.
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    Chargers worked out free agent WR JuJu Smith-Schuster on Tuesday.

    Smith-Schuster is touring wide receiver-needy teams, working out with the Chargers Monday after visiting the Vikings on Monday. Several other names also worked out for the Chargers, including former 49ers WR Ronnie Bell and quarterbacks Kyle Trask and Jake Browning. With Trey Lance on injured reserve and several Chargers receivers dealing with injuries, the Chargers are looking for reinforcements.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #11
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    Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (ankle) was listed as a limited practice participant on Tuesday’s estimated injury report.

    Smith-Njigba gets a second-straight “limited” practice designation. The Seahawks have technically not practiced yet this week but it is notably the 24-year-old receiver gets back-to-back limited designations. With a Thursday matchup against the Broncos on the horizon for Week 6, the Seahawks are leaving the door open for Smith-Njigba to play; he battled the ankle injury in Week 5 and the short week makes this a tougher evaluation. For now, we still expect Smith-Njigba to play against the Broncos on Thursday.
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    Texans S Jalen Pitre is week-to-week with an AC joint sprain.

    Pitre suffered a left shoulder injury in Week 5, now revealed to be an AC joint sprain. The good news is he won’t require surgery or go on injured reserve, but the 27-year-old is considered “week-to-week.” Given the designation, Pitre seems unlikely to play Week 6 against the Jaguars.
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    Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a speech that the team’s 1-4 record “is not acceptable to me.”

    It appears that Kellen Moore and GM Mickey Loomis are on the hot seat after a surprisingly bad start and a no-show on the 20th anniversary of the return to the dome. We’d be a little surprised if Moore were fired in only the second year of his tenure, without even being given a chance to pick his own franchise quarterback. But most ownership groups would not say something like this out loud, so it’s worth noting.
  • CHI Defensive Tackle
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    Bears activated DL Shemar Turner (knee) off the reserve/PUP list.

    Turner tore his ACL last October. He’ll likely work in a rotational role for the Bears early. The 23-year-old second-rounder will try to make up for lost time after spending all of camp and the first month of the season on the shelf.
  • LA Offensive Lineman #77
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    Rams LT Alaric Jackson has been suspended two games for punching Bills EDGE Bradley Chubb after Los Angeles’ Week 5 loss.

    Jackson, notably, was not suspended before the season despite his domestic violence charge. We’ll likely see an appeal here. David Quessenberry would likely be the next man up for the Rams at tackle.