Former NFL quarterback opts to remain with team despite multiple head coaching interview opportunities, replaces fired Joe Lombardi
Davis Webb is the Denver Broncos’ new offensive coordinator. The former NFL quarterback was promoted to the role Monday after three seasons serving as an assistant coach with the team. Webb’s promotion comes after the Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi following their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The decision to elevate Webb from within the organization represents continuity for a Broncos offense that will continue operating under head coach Sean Payton’s playcalling direction.
What makes Webb’s promotion particularly significant is the path he chose not to take. During this hiring cycle, Webb interviewed for three different head coaching positions. He had other offensive coordinator opportunities available to him. Despite those options opportunities that would have represented career advancement for most coaches Webb decided to stay with Denver and accept the offensive coordinator role.
That decision speaks to several things about Webb’s mindset and his commitment to the Broncos organization. He didn’t view the Broncos as a stepping stone. He didn’t see this as a consolation prize after missing out on head coaching jobs. He evaluated his options and decided that remaining in Denver, in the role of offensive coordinator under Sean Payton, represented the best opportunity for his growth and success.
Webb has spent the past three seasons with the Broncos as an assistant coach. Most recently, in 2025, he served as Denver’s offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach a dual role that gave him extensive responsibility for quarterback development and offensive game planning. That experience directly prepared him for the offensive coordinator position. He’s been intimately involved in the Broncos’ offensive system. He understands Payton’s philosophy and approach. He knows the personnel. He knows the playbook.
His promotion also includes an internal adjustment within the coaching staff. Logan Kilgore was promoted to quarterbacks coach, replacing Webb in that role. Kilgore has been with the Broncos for three seasons as an offensive quality control coach. His promotion from within continues the organization’s pattern of developing coaches internally rather than constantly searching externally for staff positions.
Kilgore brings unique perspective to the quarterbacks coaching role. He’s a former NFL quarterback himself, having retired after the 2022 season. His final action came with the New York Giants in the regular-season finale, where he threw for 168 yards and a touchdown. That playing experience, combined with three seasons observing Denver’s offensive system as a quality control coach, positions him well to develop young quarterbacks under Payton’s system.
When Staying Put Becomes the Bold Choice
In an era where coaches constantly pursue promotions, constantly interview for bigger jobs, constantly chase career advancement, Webb’s decision to stay with Denver stands out. He had head coaching opportunities. Those are rare. Most coaches would jump at the chance to interview for those positions, let alone actually receive offers. Yet Webb chose to remain in his current organization, in a coordinator role that, while significant, doesn’t represent the ultimate career destination most coaches pursue.
That decision likely reflects several factors. First, he may genuinely believe that working under Sean Payton a proven Super Bowl-winning head coach is more valuable than taking a head coaching job with an organization that hasn’t done the groundwork for success. Payton’s system is established. The infrastructure exists. Webb can focus on executing the offense rather than building everything from scratch.
Second, Webb’s decision to stay suggests confidence in the Broncos’ direction. The team just made the AFC Championship Game. They’re close to the Super Bowl. Why leave a situation that’s on the verge of championship success? Why take a head coaching job somewhere that might require three to five years of rebuilding before competing for titles?
Third, the decision reflects Webb’s commitment to Denver as an organization. He came in as an assistant three years ago. He’s built relationships. He understands the culture. He’s invested in the organization’s success. Moving on would mean starting over in a new place with a new organization and new personnel.
The Lombardi Departure and Offensive Continuity
Webb’s promotion comes after Lombardi’s departure, which followed the Broncos’ disappointing loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. That 10-7 defeat ended Denver’s playoff run and prompted the organization to make a change at offensive coordinator. Rather than search externally for a replacement, the Broncos promoted from within.
Webb will operate under Payton’s playcalling direction. Payton, the former Saints head coach and Super Bowl winner, has taken over the offensive playcalling responsibilities, positioning himself as the primary architect of Denver’s offensive strategy. Webb’s role as offensive coordinator will be supporting that vision, managing the day-to-day offensive operations, and developing the offense’s schemes and personnel utilization.
That structure with Payton handling playcalling while Webb manages overall offensive operations has become increasingly common in the NFL. It allows experienced head coaches to maintain offensive control while delegating the coordinator role to a trusted lieutenant who can execute the vision.
