​The Sporting News article about the Broncos’ 2026 offense being average due to questionable reasoning originally appeared on The Sporting News. It invites readers to treat The Sporting News as a preferred source by clicking here. The Denver Broncos have boasted one of the league’s top defenses in recent seasons, and there is little to suggest that this will change in 2026. If the team can assemble an offense capable of scoring at a high rate, they could emerge as frontrunners for the Super Bowl.
The addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is expected to provide the boost the offense has needed, and the prevailing sentiment in Broncos Country is that the team now has the firepower to compete with anyone. Yet not everyone shares that optimism. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports ranked each NFL offense entering the season, placing the Broncos at a disappointing No. 15. Broncos fans are likely to push back against that placement.
“The Broncos would rank higher here if it weren’t for their insistence that it will actually be Davis Mills calling the plays and not Sean Payton. Again, we give all first-time play-callers an average grade, no matter how sought after they were on the market the previous offseason. If Denver had Payton (a 4.5 or 5 on the grading scale) in place, the Broncos would jump up to somewhere between fourth and fifth in these rankings. That’s how big a difference your play caller can make in our system, especially when you pair it with an elite offensive line that is arguably the best in the league,” Dubin wrote. Dubin clearly intended to reference the Broncos’ new offensive coordinator, Davis Webb (not Mills), in making his case, but penalizing the team for a change in leadership appears lazy.
Arguably the offseason move that set the Broncos apart was promoting Webb to offensive coordinator and giving him responsibility for play-calling. Sean Payton did not have to, and perhaps did not want to, reallocate duties, but he understands the impact of introducing a fresh mindset to the position. Webb is no ordinary coach; he has been on a short list of head coaching candidates even before he coordinated a game plan at the NFL level, and the Broncos recognized this by elevating him. A highly successful season for Webb in this new role could markedly improve his chances of earning a head coaching opportunity next year.
Payton remains respected as one of the game’s most inventive offensive minds over the past two decades. If there is anyone who can recognize a rising star, it is him. The Broncos could field a top-five offense this season while continuing to sport one of the league’s stoutest defenses. Of course, they’ll need to prove it on the field to gain broader respect, and dismissing the team’s trajectory simply because of a change in play-calling approach doesn’t make much sense.