The drama between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton continues to this day. After the Denver Broncos head coach seemingly dissed his former quarterback last season, Wilson has expressed his disappointment in the coach. Wilson continues to express his disappointment in the coach's statement.
In a recent appearance on the podcast “Bussin' with the Boys”, Wilson talked about Payton's comments when the Broncos faced the Giants in 2025. The Giants quarterback reiterated that Payton's comments were unnecessary and that while he respected Payton as a playcaller, he was displeased with how he dealt with that situation.
“But to me when you’ve been in the ring or you’ve been on the same side, this and that and I’ve got the same amount of rings as you’ve got, meaning Sean,” Wilson said. “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. And I don’t think it’s necessary. Especially when I’m not on your own team anymore. So to me there is a point and time where I’ve realized I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a time and place where I’m not.”
Wilson's dismay against Payton stems from the latter's comments when the Broncos played the Giants. After the Giants (who benched Wilson before the game for rookie Jaxson Dart) nearly pulled off the upset over the Broncos, the head coach said to the media, “”[T]hey found a little spark with that quarterback. I was talking to John Mara not too long ago and I said we were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game.”
Wilson posted on X shortly after, saying, “Classless… but not surprised…. Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.” Payton later clarified that his statements were not a dig at Wilson, but it was praise for Dart.
Wilson and Payton were paired together for a short time with the Denver Broncos. Wilson was Denver's quarterback when Payton was traded to the franchise. The two personalities seemingly didn't work well together, and the on-field product reflected their disconnect. Wilson was later traded to the Giants after the Broncos drafted Bo Nix.
