Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took a pretty big shot at his former quarterback Russell Wilson after Denver's dramatic comeback win over the New York Giants
23:23 ET, 19 Oct 2025
Sean Payton
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Sean Payton saw his Denver Broncos improve to 5-2 on Sunday(Image: Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos stunned the New York Giants 33-32 on Sunday, scoring all 33 points in the fourth quarter on the back of oft-maligned quarterback Bo Nix in dramatic fashion. The 2024 first-round pick became the first player in NFL history with two passing and two rushing touchdowns in the same quarter.
Broncos coach Sean Payton worked with Giants backup signal caller Russell Wilson with Denver in 2023, though the pair hardly enjoyed an amicable experience.
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Denver moved on from the quarterback after just a single season of the Wilson-Payton pair, eating $85 million of dead money on Wilson's contract to facilitate his release. Payton made a comment postgame where he started praising Giants starter Jaxson Dart before drifting into a thinly veiled insult at his former QB.
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"They found a little spark with that quarterback (Dart)," Payton told reporters postgame. "I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago and I said, 'we were hoping that that change would've happened long after our game.'"
Wilson started the 2025 season as the New York starting quarterback before head coach Brian Daboll opted for Dart, the team's 2025 first-round pick, after an 0-3 start.
Dart played well for three quarters, but a costly interception late in the fourth led to a Broncos touchdown. He finished the day completing 15 of his 33 passes for 283 yards with a three-to-one touchdown-interception ratio. He added a score on the ground.
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Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowler, was poor but not horrific with Payton in Denver in 2023, throwing for 3,070 yards with a tidy 26-9touchdown-itnerception ratio.
After starting well for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, he joined 'The Pat McAfee Show' to reflect on his lengthy NFL career. "I've been fortunate to play for two really special coaches in terms of men and how they think and how they process the game," Wilson told McAfee.
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"Obviously, in coach Pete Carroll (from Seattle) and coach Mike Tomlin (from Pittsburgh) are really unique individuals in how they lead and motivate. I think they're culture builders." Notably missing: Sean Payton, a Super Bowl winner (with the New Orleans Saints).
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Payton's Broncos improved to 5-2 with the victory and claimed sole possession of first place in the AFC West. His defense, which entered the game on track to set the single-season NFL record with sacks, tallied another four on Sunday.
Next up: Payton and the Broncos will take on the 3-3-1 Dallas Cowboys at home.