Sean Payton's quest to bring a Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos ended in the AFC Championship game. Losing quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle in the divisional round was the catalyst behind his undoing, but their defeat against the New England Patriots was still decided by fine margins.
Even with the mitigating circumstances attached. Even with the torrential blizzard over the second half. Even after the Broncos reached the final four, Payton decided that he needed a scapegoat for the team's failings. And the axe fell on offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.
This raised more than a few eyebrows around the league. Lombardi doesn't call the plays in Denver; Payton does. And unless this is some ploy to prevent Davis Webb from becoming a head coach or getting another high-profile coordinator vacancy elsewhere, it does seem a little odd.
Jay Gruden goes off on Sean Payton for firing Joe Lombardi
This didn't go unnoticed by former Washington head coach Jay Gruden. He took to social media in disgust, throwing shade at Payton for not taking the points when he knew bad weather was on the way. He also felt that losing the AFC Championship game with a backup quarterback shouldn't have fallen on the coordinator.
Damn. Joe Lombardi got fired . OC at Broncos. Tough business. Lost in AFC championships with back up qb. Guess he made the call on 4th-2 not to kick field goal. Got a tee time at noon tomorrow joe. Give me a call.
— Jay Gruden (@Coach_JayGruden) January 28, 2026
It's hard to argue with the logic.
Payton is an accomplished coach, but he's also got a reputation for trying to be the smartest guy in the room. He gets too caught up in his own supposed brilliance in key moments, and it's often his undoing.
Going for it on the fourth down that denied them three points might have been the play in any other situation. However, he lacked situational awareness of the conditions, which made offensive progress almost impossible in the second half.
Cutting ties with Lombardi does seem a little harsh. He's been a leading hand in Nix's rise to prominence. He's also a highly experienced coordinator, having held the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions before arriving in Denver.
Payton may have bigger plans. If Webb doesn't get the Las Vegas Raiders' head-coaching gig, this seems like his position to lose. That's probably the long-term play in this situation. And as Lombardi has found to his cost before, this is a ruthless business.
Gruden also knows that all too well. He's had one job — Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator — since Washington let him go in 2019. A brief consultancy opportunity with the Los Angeles Rams was the last time he was near an NFL franchise, and it also gave him the freedom to speak his mind.
And he's not the only one taking shots at Payton after this move.