The Las Vegas Raiders’ search for a new head coach has drawn opinions from all corners of the NFL, but few voices carry as much weight — or edge — as Sean Payton’s.
As speculation continues to grow around Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb becoming a serious candidate for the Raiders’ top job, Denver head coach Sean Payton offered a blunt assessment of what that move would mean.
“Well, it would be a pain in the a— for him,” Payton said when asked about Webb’s potential candidacy in Las Vegas.
The comment was classic Payton: sharp, direct, and layered with meaning.
While Payton may have been speaking partly from a competitive standpoint — losing a promising assistant within the division is never ideal — his words also underscored a harsher reality. Turning around the Raiders is no easy assignment, especially in an AFC West that has left Las Vegas behind.
For much of the past decade, the Raiders have struggled to keep pace with their rivals. The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled the division. The Denver Broncos stabilized quickly after Payton’s arrival. Even the Los Angeles Chargers, long plagued by inconsistency, have managed to modernize and remain competitive.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, has continued to sputter.
The Raiders have failed to win divisional games consistently and have cycled through coaching staffs without establishing a clear identity. That context is what makes Payton’s comment sting — and resonate.
Davis Webb’s rise has been rapid. At just 31 years old, he has earned respect within Denver’s organization for his work with quarterbacks and offensive development. He has already interviewed with the Raiders and is viewed as one of the top remaining candidates in their coaching search.
From Denver’s perspective, Webb’s departure would weaken a staff that has been a major factor in the Broncos’ resurgence under Payton. From Las Vegas’ perspective, hiring Webb would represent a sharp pivot toward youth, innovation, and long-term development after years of short-term fixes.
It would also come with risk.
Webb has no head coaching experience at the NFL level, and inheriting a roster in transition — even one holding the No. 1 overall pick — brings immediate pressure. The AFC West offers no grace period, and any new Raiders coach will face elite competition almost immediately.
Raiders general manager John Spytek has made it clear the organization is aware of that challenge.
“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 to do, but that’s not the approach.”
Spytek emphasized patience and long-term vision, pointing to teams like the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars as examples of rapid turnarounds that came from disciplined rebuilding.
But Payton’s remark suggests that, from the outside, the Raiders are still viewed as the most difficult job in the division — perhaps the conference.
And that may not deter Las Vegas.
After previously hiring the oldest head coach in league history and failing to find stability, the Raiders now appear ready to gamble on upside instead of familiarity. Webb, for all the unknowns, fits that mold.
Sean Payton’s words didn’t discourage the move. If anything, they highlighted exactly what kind of challenge awaits.
In the AFC West, nothing comes easy — especially in silver and black.
Leave a Reply