The relationship between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton has unraveled into one of the NFL’s most public feuds.
Denver brought the two together in 2023, pairing a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with a championship-caliber head coach in hopes of revitalizing the franchise.
Instead, the partnership ended in dysfunction, mutual frustration, and a messy split that continues to generate headlines nearly two years later.
The tension resurfaced after Denver’s 33-32 comeback victory over the New York Giants in Week 7, when Payton’s postgame comments appeared to take a veiled shot at his former quarterback.
Wilson responded quickly, referencing lingering issues from Payton’s controversial tenure in New Orleans.
Former NFL coach Jay Gruden recently weighed in on the exchange, offering little sympathy for Wilson’s decision to engage publicly with his former coach.
“If Russell was still damaged because of that incident, toughen up. You’re playing a tough position. It’s a man’s game, be a man,” Gruden said. “We’re talking about it now because he responded. If he doesn’t respond, nobody’s gonna remember what Sean Payton said at the press conference. It’s dead.”
“If Russell was still damaged because of that incident, toughen up. You’re playing a tough position. It’s a man’s game, be a man.”@Coach_JayGruden and the crew debate if Russ Wilson should have responded to Sean Payton. pic.twitter.com/Is1xrCsXCi
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) October 24, 2025
Payton praised Giants rookie Jaxson Dart following the dramatic comeback win, telling reporters he had spoken with Giants owner John Mara and expressed hope for such a quarterback change after Wilson faced Denver in Week 7.
The comments triggered immediate backlash online and prompted Wilson to fire back on X with a sharp reply.
Wilson called Payton’s remarks “classless” and referenced the coach’s involvement in the infamous Saints Bountygate scandal, writing that Payton was still “bounty hunting” through the media 15 years later.
The exchange reopened wounds from Wilson’s 2023 season in Denver under Payton.
The Broncos finished 7-8 with a struggling offense, and Wilson was benched late in the year in what many viewed as a move to avoid triggering a salary guarantee.
Denver released him in March 2024, absorbing over $85 million in dead cap space.
Wilson started the 2025 season with the Giants before Dart’s promotion made Payton’s praise feel especially pointed.
Many described the comment as a shot disguised as an observation.
Payton later clarified his remarks targeted only Dart, but the friction between coach and quarterback remains a vivid reminder of their fractured partnership.
