Russell Wilson needs to fire this season to shut the critics up and to ensure that, the Denver Broncos are placing trust in Sean Payton. While it seems like Payton is truly serious about his job, the HC’s rants against Broncos’ former coach Nathaniel Hackett haven’t been taken positively by many.
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Despite all this, Russell Wilson, during ‘Up and Adams Show,’ when recently asked to comment upon his relationship with Payton, claimed that he is just a huge fan of his current coach’s swagger and confidence. After a disappointing campaign in 2022/23, Wilson is looking to form a formidable partnership with his head coach whose primary aim would be to bring out the best from his QB1.
Russell Wilson is Relishing the Opportunity to Pick Sean Payton’s Mind
Russell Wilson did not have the best of times with the former Broncos HC, Nathaniel Hackett last season. Hence his relationship with Sean Payton has been a constant talking point throughout the offseason. The 34-year-old finally answered the question on the ‘Up and Adams Show’ claiming that he has been bowled over by Payton’s confidence and swagger so far, labelling these as the latter’s best traits.
Wilson expressed his admiration for Payton while revealing the fact that he has started spending a lot of time with his head coach following his arrival in Denver. He also talked about how they got to know each other by sharing the locker room during his Pro Bowl selection.
“Well, we’ve gotten actually really close. We’ve admired each other but also been around each other. We’ve played each other a bunch on the other side. But at the same time, we went to the Pro Bowl, and that’s when we really got to know each other. We had some great players there but I got to spend some one-on-one time with him and just be around him and his mind,” Wilson said while describing his relationship with Sean Payton.
“But I think the best thing about the coach, is he knows what he wants, and he has swagger and confidence. The biggest thing is he’s done it… It’s a gift to be around special coaches like coach Payton,” Wilson finished off. Sean Payton seems to have earned the respect of his star quarterback and will look to build on this foundation for the upcoming 2023/24 NFL season. However, he has yet to get into the good books of the NFL faithful following his vicious attack on former HC Nathaniel Hackett.
Sean Payton Landed himself in Hot Water After Criticizing Nathaniel Hackett, and Apologised Later
Payton realized his mistake and issued an apology for his rant against Hackett a few weeks ago. He attributed his outburst to the fact that he probably still had his broadcasting hat on despite having taken up a coaching job. Sean Payton termed Hackett’s tenure in the NFL as one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history, after the franchise finished with a 5-12 record last season.
According to Payton, the Broncos’ poor season wasn’t only due to Wilson’s performances. “But everybody’s got a little stink on their hands,” he said, per ESPN. “It’s not just Russell. It was a (poor) offensive line. It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.”
While such comments about a former NFL head coach might be expected from an analyst, Payton definitely crossed a line by ruthlessly criticizing his predecessor. Thankfully, he did realize the mistake he made which played a huge role in calming things down.
