This past October, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton seemed to take a shot at New York Giants quarterback and former Denver starter Russell Wilson after the Giants benched Wilson in favor of then-rookie Jaxson Dart.
Wilson eventually fired back via X (formerly known as Twitter) and called Payton “classless.” The one-time Super Bowl champion quarterback also accused Payton of “bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media,” a clear reference to the “Bountygate” scandal that resulted in the NFL suspending Payton.
During a recent appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Wilson shared why he publicly clapped back at Payton.
Is Russell Wilson tired of hearing Sean Payton’s smack talk?
“I don’t say much,” Wilson explained, per Madison Williams of Sports Illustrated. “I never, hardly ever say anything. I think there’s a time and place, but sometimes you get fatigued of people talking about you.”
Shortly after Payton officially became Denver’s head coach in February 2023, a report suggested that he had “no choice” but to work with Wilson and was already planning to part ways with the veteran at some point down the road. Payton eventually benched Wilson in December of that year so that Denver could ultimately eat the largest dead cap hit in NFL history to release the signal-caller.
In the spring of 2024, somebody within the Broncos revealed that Wilson “struggled with snap counts” and “couldn’t manage or handle the play-calling” while working with Payton. Payton then may or may not have hinted in January 2025 that coaching Wilson was a “brutal” experience filled with “misery” and “sorrow.”
Russell Wilson sends strong message to Sean Payton, other critics
“It’s one thing for people that maybe aren’t in the field or people say ‘bots’ or whatever, talking — I don’t worry about that stuff,” Wilson continued during the interview. “But, to me, when you’ve been in the ring, or you’ve been on the same side of this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean — Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that. But, to take a shot I don’t like, I don’t think it’s necessary, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. It’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”
The Giants are expected to move on from Wilson once the new league year opens on March 11, and it’s unclear if much of a market for his services will materialize. If nothing else, it could be interesting to see if Payton responds to Wilson’s latest comments once springtime workouts get underway.