Criticized for his treatment of Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, Sean Payton is accused of acting in a thuggish manner.
On Saturday, Russell Wilson disclosed that the basis for his benching was solely financial—a decision supported by ESPN’s Ryan Clark.
Clark criticized Broncos head coach Sean Payton, accusing him of behaving in a thuggish manner towards the quarterback.
“The business aspect doesn’t bother me, but let’s be honest. Since becoming the coach of the Denver Broncos, Sean Payton has conducted himself like a thug,” Clark stated on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday.
“Right from the start, as soon as he enters the organization, he begins undermining Russell Wilson both personally and professionally, starting from his initial press conference. He tells Russell Wilson to stop kissing babies and behaving as if he’s running for office. Yet, nobody kissed more babies in New Orleans than Drew Brees. Period. Plain and simple.”
"Let's be honest: Sean Payton has behaved as a thug since he became the coach of the Denver Broncos. Immediately when he gets in the building, he starts to undercut Russell Wilson personally and professionally from his first press conference on." – Ryan Clark on "Get Up" this… pic.twitter.com/u3KxreAaIb
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 29, 2023
During the Week 9 bye, the Broncos reportedly approached Russell Wilson, threatening to bench him unless he agreed to a contract revision, which involved deferring his $37 million injury guarantee.
As a result of this situation, 35-year-old Wilson was benched by Denver (7-8) on Wednesday, with backup Jarrett Stidham set to take over as the starting quarterback for the upcoming game against the Chargers.
Throughout the season, Coach Payton’s treatment of Wilson has been harsh, including instances of yelling at him on the sidelines and restricting his access to Payton’s second-floor office during the quarterback’s inaugural year in Denver in 2022. Notably, Payton took an assertive approach when assuming the Broncos’ head coaching position, swiftly dismantling the previous coaching regime led by Nathaniel Hackett of the Jets.
“From the moment he walked into this facility, he had a point to prove with Russell Wilson—you’re going to be just like everybody else,” emphasized Clark.
“I’m going to treat you just like I treat everybody else on the team.” This approach is unconventional for franchise quarterbacks.
Craig Carton, another member of the sports media, criticized Sean Payton, stating on Thursday that it’s “wrong” for the head coach to humiliate Russell Wilson by benching him while still requiring him to dress as a backup.
“Sean Payton dislikes Russell Wilson on a level I’ve never seen before. Not only is he embarrassing him by benching him for the last two games, he’s making him dress. Meaning what? CBS, Fox, whoever it is, is going to be on the sideline with a camera on Russell Wilson the entire game.
“Whether you like Russell Wilson or not, Russell Wilson is a pro. Russell Wilson is an accomplished veteran in this league and has never done anybody wrong that we are aware of publicly. For Sean Payton to humiliate him in this manner is wrong.”
Russell Wilson confirmed to reporters on Friday that the Broncos compelled him to adjust his contract. In October, Denver reportedly threatened to bench the quarterback if he refused to defer his $37 million injury guarantee.
“They came up to me during the bye week, at the beginning of the bye week, Monday or Tuesday. They told me if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, that I’d be benched for the rest of the year,” Wilson informed reporters on Friday.
“I was definitely disappointed about it. It was a process for the whole bye week. We had just come off beating the Chiefs, and I was excited about us fighting for the playoffs and getting on a hot streak. The NFLPA and NFL got involved at some point.”
Following the official benching on Wednesday, days after the Broncos dropped to a 7-8 record and moved further away from playoff contention, all of this unfolded after Russell Wilson was traded from the Seahawks in March 2022. He had previously signed a five-year, $242.6 million contract extension with Denver.
Unfortunately, the Broncos have faced another disappointing season with things not working out as expected.
Much of the controversy surrounding Russell Wilson’s benching revolves around his $37 million injury guarantee for 2025 and the trigger date in March 2024.
Wilson clarified to reporters on Friday that he was not willing to restructure that part of the deal, stating, “I wasn’t going to take away injury guarantees. This game is such a physical game. I’ve played for 12 years, and that matters to me.”
Despite the benching turmoil, Wilson expressed his desire to remain in Denver in the future, emphasizing, “I came here to play here, to win. I knew it was going to be a process. I signed a seven-year deal for us to go and play hard. That’s my goal every time I step in between the white lines: to give everything I have. I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here, and I want to win championships here. I want to give my all every week, no matter what the circumstances are or what the score is.
“I want to be the best teammate and leader I can be in the midst of it all. That’s why I was out here at practice every day. I told Jarrett [Stidham], I’ll help him and do whatever it takes to keep the guys going and try to lead the right way. That’s all I know.”
