Sean Payton is clearly not a fan of Russell Wilson.
The Denver Broncos pulled of a historic upset against the New York Giants, winning the contest 33-32 on a walk-off field goal despite trailing 19-0 entering the fourth quarter.
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Broncos HC Sean Payton orchestrated a comeback victory for the ages against the GiantsCredit: Getty
With three lead changes in the final two minutes, it was Bo Nix and co who came out of the game with victory, seeing Jaxson Dart – who threw for 283 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and the Giants collapse to 2-5 on the season.
After the game, the Broncos head coach praised the Giants rookie quarterback – who was visibly emotional after the game – whilst appearing to fire some subtle shade at his back-up, Wilson.
“They’ve found a little spark with that quarterback,” Payton said, referring to Dart.
“I was talking to John Mara [Giants co-owner] not too long ago and I said, ‘we were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game.'”
Payton is referring to the quarterback change that was made by Brian Daboll in Week 4, after they benched the 36-year-old Super Bowl-winning veteran for the former Ole Miss star.
This decision was ultimately made after the Giants got off to a 0-3 start, despite a career performance from Wilson in Week 2’s loss against the Dallas Cowboys which left his teammates ‘amazed’.
As Wilson’s final appearance as the starter saw him exit to Giants’ fans booing him, once Dart came in the following week, it was clear that he was the right choice going forward.
This comes as both he and fellow rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who has proven to be a vibrant character since arriving into the NFL, have since made the statement that they are very much the future – and the present – of the organization.
Fans were also of the belief that Payton took his opportunity to subtly berate his former quarterback, which was met with mixed reactions.
“Such a double sided comment while praising the spark in Dart but absolutely burying Russ Wilson at the same time,” one user posted to X (formerly Twitter).
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Wilson lost his starting spot to New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, with Payton firing shade at his former QBCredit: Getty
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Payton believes the Giants have really found a star in Jaxson DartCredit: Getty
“Classic Payton — compliment with a competitive twist,” a second wrote.
“You’d think Russell Wilson was the worst person who ever put on a NFL uniform by the way his ex-teammates and coaches talk about him,” a third commented.
“Payton tossing darts and shade at the same time,” a fourth wrote.
“Alright, all s*** talk aside lol. I’ve been loving this Giants team. Love the Duo of Skat and Dart. Incredibly fun team to watch when I’m not watching my Broncos. But yeah, Sean isn’t wrong. We wanted to BELT Russ, we didn’t want to see Dart. But 🤷♂️,” a Broncos fan admitted.
Payton and Wilson’s tethered history
Payton and Wilson have history, with the pair having spent the 2023 season working together at the Broncos.
That season, Denver went 7-8 with Wilson as the starter, with the veteran throwing for 3,070 yards with a pass completion percentage of 66.4 percent, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
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Dart and Cam Skattebo are proving they are very much the future – and the now – of the GiantsCredit: Getty
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Payton and Wilson worked together during the Broncos’ 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
But Wilson, who signed a five-year, $242.6 million contract just a year prior, was ultimately benched by Payton in favor of Jarrett Stidham after Week 15.
Their relationship looked fragmented in the weeks leading up to his benching, with the two seen engaged in a heated exchange in Week 14’s blowout loss to the Detroit Lions where Payton’s anger was particularly palpable.
The Broncos’ decision to bench Wilson, though, appeared to be a financial one, with Wilson revealing that the team had approached him and his agent about making an adjustment to his $37 million injury guarantee in his contract, and that if he didn’t accept the revised terms, he would be benched.
They wound up releasing him after the 2023 season, taking on an $85 million dead money charge against their salary cap over the next two years, before drafting Nix out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL Draft.
With their win over the Giants, Payton, Nix and co now sit atop the AFC West standings with a 5-2 record, and will host the 3-3-1 Cowboys up next at the Empower Field at Mile High stadium.
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