There’s no love lost between Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and his former quarterback, Russell Wilson. Payton took the Broncos’ reins in the Mile High City beginning in 2023, and was saddled with Wilson as his incumbent starting QB.
Part of the reason for Payton’s arrival was Wilson’s inefficacy from the previous year after Denver made a blockbuster trade for him, only to watch Payton’s predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, flame out and get fired after less than a season. In the wake of Payton’s Denver team roaring back to shock Wilson’s New York Giants in a 33-32 thriller this past Sunday, the former coach-QB partnership is getting mighty testy in a public war of words.
What Did Russell Wilson Say To Clap Back at Sean Payton?
After the Broncos capped off an improbable comeback in Week 7, scoring all 33 of their points in the final quarter, Payton took a not-so-subtle shot at Wilson’s inefficacy.
The implication was that Payton was hoping to face Wilson, rather than the Giants’ first-round rookie Jaxson Dart.
Sean Payton talks about the Giants’ organization and his respect for the Mara and Tisch families:
“They 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’ve happened long after our game.'” pic.twitter.com/Zk7TVXs1xY
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 20, 2025
Well, for all the robotic, weird-energy, boilerplate answers that Wilson has become known for over the years, it appears that he does, in fact, have more of a feisty side than his carefully-cultivated public persona suggests. Check out Wilson ripping Payton for being “classless” in the X/Twitter post below.
Classless… but not surprised….
Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media. 😎😂 #LetsRide 🤣— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) October 21, 2025
Good for Mr. Unlimited here. Wilson even included a reference to the Saints’ Bountygate scandal dating back to Payton’s tenure in New Orleans!
This feels like one of the few times Wilson is presenting an authentic version of himself. Not to take away anything from his philanthropic endeavors or what he accomplished in his prime as a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks. However, there’s a reason Payton and many of Wilson’s former teammates such as Richard Sherman put him on blast on a semi-regular basis.
Some of the hoopla and hatred toward Wilson feels a little unfair. It has to be difficult to manage the spotlight amid all the fame and expectations. Whatever he has to do to maintain some sense of normalcy is understandable. At the same time, again, his antics and oft-faux sincerity put off a not-insignificant amount of players, coaches, and fans alike.
For what it’s worth, Wilson did manage a 98.0 passer rating in his 15 starts under Payton, and he did enough to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs last season. He even threw for 450 yards in an overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys a couple weeks before the Giants benched him for Dart.
Alas, the piling-on continues for Russell Wilson. At least he’s airing out some real emotion for once. Get your popcorn ready, NFL fans. This feud is likely far from over.
