Broncos HC Sean Payton Throws Shade at Russell Wilson
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton seemingly took a brutal shot at former quarterback Russell Wilson when speaking with the Denver media at his season-ending press conference. He didn’t mention Wilson by name, but it seemed like a clear jab at the nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
“We’re a lot closer than we were this time a year ago,” Payton said. “That was misery, sorrow, drudgery. Give me some other adjectives. That was brutal. I’ll say that.”
Wilson’s two-year tenure in Denver was an absolute disaster. Payton, who’s known to be a fiery coach, ripped into Wilson on the sideline during a game in Detroit last season. It seemed more personal than a coach just letting a player have it.
One veteran AFC personnel executive even told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Payton never liked Russell Wilson from Day 1.
“Sean never liked him as the guy from Day 1 and went out of his way to make that known,” the source said.
In addition to taking a deep decline in the final five games of the season, Wilson apparently didn’t always see eye to eye with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show reported that Wilson and Arthur Smith had a rocky relationship in their first year together in Pittsburgh.
“Still, despite Wilson and Smith spending countless hours together after the typical workday watching film and publicly joking about it, a team source recently said that Wilson and Smith did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could,” Kaboly wrote on X.
Mike Tomlin thought Wilson and Smith had a smooth relationship, however.
“I thought it was pretty good and fluid,” Tomlin said. “I know they do an awesome time of spending time together and communicating formally and informally. We’re not paid by the hour in this business, and I think their willingness to work and work together is kind of a reflection of that sentiment.”
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