It’s been nearly two years since Russell Wilson last suited up for the Denver Broncos, but there is apparently no love lost between him and his former head coach, Sean Payton.
Wilson, now a member of the New York Giants, has taken the clipboard as the veteran backup and mentor of QB1, Jaxson Dart. After Payton’s Broncos pulled off an incredible fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Giants in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season, the Super Bowl-winning coach chose pettiness.
“They found a little spark with that quarterback,” Payton said of Dart. “I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said that we were hoping that change would have happened long after our game.”
Payton’s message was perceived to be a not-so-subtle jab at Wilson, who posted a 0-3 record in three starts before being replaced by Dart in Week 4. Less than 48 hours later, Wilson took to social media to respond.
Here’s what to know about the feud between the former head coach-quarterback pairing.
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Why did Russell Wilson diss Sean Payton?
Wilson took exception to Payton’s comments after the Broncos’ comeback win over the Giants. In response, Wilson took to X, where he didn’t exactly hold back.
“Classless… but not surprised,” the one-time Super Bowl champion wrote. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”
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
Wilson made a call back to the bounty scandal that resulted in Payton being suspended for the 2012 NFL season, signing off with a few emojis and a #LetsRide hashtag. The hashtag was a self-aware reminder of his viral moment upon joining Denver.
Wednesday, Payton told reporters that his comment wasn’t meant to be a jab at his former QB, while he acknowledged how it could have been interpreted as such.
Russell Wilson-Sean Payton Broncos drama
Differences in opinion and approach defined the one-season partnership between Wilson and Payton in Denver.
A perfect example comes from one of Wilson’s final starts in a Broncos uniform, as Payton was animated in a verbal spat with a stoic Wilson in front of a primetime audience.
Why is Sean Payton yelling at Russell Wilson here? Russ was great on that drive. Payton is the one who didn’t throw challenge flag on what looked like a TD. pic.twitter.com/CN6nxb9xPR
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) December 17, 2023
When Wilson was benched, Payton said, “It’s more about what we weren’t doing effectively enough offensively,” adding that “When we were getting two or three turnovers, that’s one thing. Ultimately, our job is to get the ball in the end zone, and we have to be more efficient doing that. All of us.”
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Sean Payton bounty scandal
In 2012, the NFL completed an investigation into the New Orleans Saints, who allegedly had a bounty program under Payton’s watch from 2009 to 2011. As the name of the scandal indicates, it was alleged that Payton’s staff rewarded players for deliberately injuring other players to knock them out of games.
As part of the allegations, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams organized a slush fund that compensated these players.
The league found sufficient evidence that supported the claims that Payton and his staff were rewarding players for such actions. Not only was Payton implicated, but he was also found responsible for attempting to cover up the program when the NFL first began an investigation into allegations.
As a result, the NFL suspended Payton for the 2012 season, making him the first head coach in modern NFL history to be suspended for any reason.
The NFL offered the following statement on the suspension:
Although head coach Sean Payton was not a direct participant in the funding or administration of the program, he was aware of the allegations, did not make any detailed inquiry or otherwise seek to learn the facts, and failed to stop the bounty program. He never instructed his assistant coaches or players that a bounty program was improper and could not continue.
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Russell Wilson timeline, record with Denver Broncos
After 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson was traded to Denver during the 2022 offseason.
Ahead of his first season with the franchise, Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos. His first year was to be played under head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
In Year 1, Wilson led Denver to a 5-12 record, with Hackett getting fired after Week 16. In the 2023 offseason, the Broncos hired Payton as their next head coach, and Wilson started through Week 16, before he was shelved for the final two games to avoid injury, in turn allowing Denver to “preserve financial flexibility,” by avoiding a trigger in his contract guarantee.
He was released on March 13, 2014.
| Season | Games | Record |
| 2022 | 15 | 4-11 |
| 2023 | 15 | 7-8 |
While Wilson has a 120-80-1 record as an NFL starter, he posted an 11-19 record over 30 games as the starter in Denver.
