📰 Sean Payton Sends Clear Message as Raiders Zero In on Broncos’ Rising Coach. DH

When the Las Vegas Raiders search for their next head coach, they aren’t just being evaluated by candidates and fans.

They’re being watched — and judged — by the rest of the AFC West.

That became clear this week when Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton weighed in on the growing buzz surrounding Broncos assistant Davis Webb and his reported candidacy for the Raiders’ top job. As expected, Payton didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts.

In fact, he barely softened them at all.

“Well, it would be a pain in the a— for him,” Payton said when asked about Webb potentially taking over in Las Vegas.

It was classic Payton: blunt, pointed, and layered with subtext.

The comment wasn’t just about Webb leaving Denver. It was a not-so-subtle reminder of just how difficult the Raiders’ rebuild has become — especially within a division that has moved forward while Las Vegas has largely stood still.

The AFC West has quietly widened the gap.

Kansas City has dominated for nearly a decade. Denver stabilized quickly after Payton’s arrival. The Chargers, despite inconsistencies, have modernized their roster and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have struggled to keep pace, failing to win divisional games consistently and cycling through leadership without sustained direction.

Now, with the No. 1 overall pick in hand and a critical coaching hire looming, Las Vegas is attempting to reset everything at once.

Davis Webb represents that gamble.

At just 31 years old, Webb has risen rapidly through Denver’s coaching ranks, earning respect for his work in quarterback development and offensive structure. He’s already interviewed with the Raiders and is widely viewed as one of the top remaining candidates for the job.

From Denver’s perspective, losing Webb would sting.

From Payton’s perspective, watching a young assistant inherit one of the league’s toughest turnarounds is something closer to sympathy than fear.

Payton’s remark carried a second meaning: the job itself is brutal.

Las Vegas isn’t just rebuilding a roster — it’s rebuilding trust, discipline, and identity. The Raiders haven’t had sustained divisional success in years, and any new head coach will inherit immediate pressure from a fan base starving for relevance and ownership determined to see tangible progress.

Raiders general manager John Spytek has acknowledged that reality.

“We’re looking for someone to build this the right way,” Spytek said. “Not think that we’ve got to produce 10 wins next year. It’d be great, but that’s not the approach.”

Spytek emphasized patience, pointing to examples like New England and Jacksonville as teams that flipped quickly after bottoming out. His message was clear: the Raiders don’t believe they’re as far away as outsiders think.

But Payton’s words suggest otherwise.

To rival coaches, Las Vegas still looks like the hardest job in the division — maybe the conference. And if Webb accepts the challenge, he’ll be doing so under the shadow of comparisons, skepticism, and AFC West heavyweights waiting to test him immediately.

For the Raiders, that may be exactly the point.

After hiring one of the oldest coaches in league history and failing to establish long-term continuity, Las Vegas appears ready to bet on youth, adaptability, and modern thinking — even if it means taking lumps early.

Sean Payton’s comment didn’t discourage that path.

If anything, it confirmed it.

Because if turning the Raiders around wasn’t painful, it wouldn’t be worth doing — and everyone in the AFC West knows it.