Three days after earning an unlikely, thrilling win over the Giants, Broncos coach Sean Payton took a moment to clarify some comments that offended a New York quarterback.
As Payton explained it, his summary of Denver's last-second triumph over a scrappy Jaxson Dart-led Giants squad was only meant out of appreciation. He didn't intend to take a shot at his former quarterback, Russell Wilson.
"The euphoria, the way that game unfolded, that was strictly about Dart," Payton told reporters on Wednesday. "That was in no way, shape or form directed at Russ. I might be able to see how he would perceive that. But coming off that win and watching how he played. That wasn't any intention at all."
Payton's initial comment on Sunday praised Dart and the "little spark" the rookie has given to the Giants offense since replacing Wilson, adding he'd told Giants owner John Mara previously that he was hoping New York would make the switch under center "long after our game," suggesting that Payton would have preferred his team face Wilson, not Dart.
Wilson took Payton's comment personally and responded by calling Payton "classless" in a social media post on Tuesday while also referencing the coach's suspension for the 2012 season.
The animosity shouldn't surprise anyone. The two joined forces when Payton was hired as Broncos head coach in 2023 after a disappointing season followed a blockbuster trade that sent Wilson from Seattle to Denver.
The Wilson-Payton partnership was doomed from the start, ultimately leading to Payton benching Wilson late in the season before the Broncos released him (and accepted a massive dead cap hit) in 2024.
Since then, Payton has been tasked with turning around the Broncos with a new quarterback, 2024 first-rounder Bo Nix, and a roster that while strong, has been handcuffed by the financial fallout from the massive extension Wilson signed with Denver before flopping as their chosen quarterback.
Wilson, meanwhile, has become a football nomad of sorts, spending 2024 as Pittsburgh's primary starter before signing with New York as a free agent in 2025. He lasted just three games as the Giants' starter before coach Brian Daboll became the latest to bench Wilson.
With Dart now leading the way, the Giants have morphed into a competitive club that dominated Denver through three quarters before crumbling in the fourth. Wilson had a front-row seat for all of it on New York's sideline.
Payton's Wednesday explanation extinguished a public relations fire; his team's win over Wilson's Giants can serve as the final word.
