Can you imagine walking into a staff meeting, probably still half-asleep, and seeing someone that looks *exactly* like you staring back from the corner? That’s what hit first-year Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb recently. This dude’s 6-foot-5, right? Well, there stood a figure, about 6-foot-4, with his signature long hair and those reading glasses perched *just so* on his nose, exactly how Webb himself looks when he’s grinding through game plans. But nope, it wasn’t a mirror. It was a life-sized cardboard cutout of Webb, courtesy of none other than Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Payton told Yahoo Sports it was all about having “some change-of-pace stuff.” He added, “It was funny. You got to do that stuff at camp.” But trust me, there was a whole lot more to this than just a laugh.
Payton’s Sneaky Message to His Play-Caller
You know Payton doesn’t do anything without a reason. Turns out, after a recent offensive installation from Webb, the 62-year-old coach believed his 31-year-old offensive coordinator was trying to shove too much offense, too fast, down his players’ throats. This wasn’t just a random prank. Payton thought back to the three seasons he worked with Webb when Payton himself was calling plays. Webb, who spent six seasons as an NFL quarterback, always gave Payton that honest, real-talk assessment on whether the PhD-level knowledge Payton had was actually translating to young players, especially guys like 2024 first-round draft pick Bo Nix.
Webb himself recalled those late-night, 2 or 3 AM meetings, where he’d put his glasses down on his nose and tell Payton straight up, “Davis, is this too much?” And Webb’s answer? “Yes, this is too much. And we have too much of a game plan.” They’d then scale it back, simplify it, make it digestible. That’s been their tradition for three years. So when Payton saw a brand new install with a bunch of shifts, motions, and new plays being tested against defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, he acted. He got the cutout, put the glasses halfway down its nose, and declared, “I want this to be the reminder for that quarterback coach telling me I had too much.”
The Real Stakes for the Broncos’ Offense
That cardboard Webb is still standing guard, essentially telling the real Davis Webb, “Hey man, install and call what best serves your players, at *their* pace.” It’s a bold move, but it shows Payton’s commitment to making sure his offense is humming. The Broncos kick off their season on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s when we’ll see if Webb’s embraced this message. The offense will definitely still have Payton’s Super Bowl-winning ethos, but it should also feature the fresh flavor of Webb, an up-and-coming coach who was drawing serious interest for coordinator and even head-coaching roles this cycle. With Bo Nix back after a January ankle fracture and speedy receiver Jaylen Waddle integrated after a spring acquisition, Webb has the weapons. It’s all about how he uses them, and whether that cutout’s message sticks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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