Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton had some choice words for Russell Wilson but what did he say?
As the Broncos and their QB look to right the ship after a terrible season, it’s clear that their new coach isn’t playing around and, maybe that’s just what they need.
Known for pushing his quarterbacks to success, the former Saints head coach is undoubtedly one of the best in the business. That’s to say if there is anyone who can get the Super Bowl-winning signal caller back on track, it’s Sean Payton.
Sean Payton thinks Russell Wilson isn’t focused enough on football
If there’s one thing we can all agree on when it comes to Sean Payton, it’s that he’s a winner, and as is the way with such people, they tend to expect those with whom they work to be committed to winning as well. Prior to his arrival in Denver this offseason, the Broncos had a disastrous campaign as they finished with a 4-11 record and missed the playoffs. It has to be said, that a major part of that was the performance of quarterback, Russell Wilson, who had the worst season of his career.
Keep in mind that Wilson was signed by the Broncos as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and was understandably expected to breathe new life into a faltering Broncos offense. Also, consider that the Broncos sent Wilson’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, one fifth-round pick, and three players in exchange for him. What did Wilson do? Not only did he post the second losing record of his career, he set career worsts in completion percentage (60.5%), passing touchdowns (16), and passer rating (84.4). This is all to say that Payton, a Super Bowl-winning coach, was almost certainly brought on board to get Wilson back on track, and by the looks of things he’s taking that very seriously. During a recent ESPN report, Payton said that he told Wilson that he needs to stop focusing on “Russell Inc,” before getting even more pointed. “Will you f---ing stop kissing all the babies?” Payton said. “You’re not running for public office.” Wilson, the coach seemingly believes, has off-field commitments that are competing with his focus on the field. The question is whether that’s true.
So, does Sean Payton have a point?
Now, while it would impossible to know exactly what’s going on in Russell Wilson’s mind, what we do know is that there are a few things beg a question. Namely, Wilson’s first season in Denver was according to a report back in February, somewhat different from the norm in that Wilson reportedly brought with him an entire support staff apart from franchise employees. It is also understood that Wilson had a workspace on a floor where players seldom went and implemented an “open-door policy” in the same way as coaches do.
Again, this does not necessarily prove that the former Seahawks star has forgotten his priorities, but at the very least it speaks to a level of influence that a case could be made against. At any rate, it appears to be very clear that things are about to change in Denver with Payton as the new coach. If he can in fact get the best out of Wilson as we have seen him do with other quarterbacks before, then don’t be surprised if the Broncos are one of the teams to beat this coming campaign.