Russell Wilson and Sean Payton might be working on different sidelines these days, but their feud clearly hasn’t cooled.
The tension reignited after Payton’s Denver Broncos edged the New York Giants, where Wilson now sits as a backup.
What started as a seemingly harmless postgame comment turned into a new round of public shots between the former coach and quarterback.
When asked about the Giants’ rookie starter Jaxson Dart, Payton praised the youngster and added with a grin.
“They found a little spark with that quarterback. I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said we were hoping that change would’ve happened long after our game.”
Russell Wilson hits out at Sean Payton
That line didn’t sit well with Wilson, who saw it as a dig at his demotion. Within hours, he fired back on social media.
“Classless… but not surprised,” Wilson wrote on X. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”
The shot was a pointed reference to Bountygate, the New Orleans Saints scandal that saw Payton suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season after players were paid bonuses for injuring opponents.
Payton has long denied involvement, but the association lingers — especially now that his former quarterback has dragged it back into the spotlight.
By midweek, the Broncos coach was forced to respond. Facing reporters, he insisted that Wilson had misread the situation.
Payton denies Wilson dig
“The euphoria, the way that game unfolded, that was strictly about Dart,” Payton said.
“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.”
It’s the latest flare-up in a relationship that fell apart fast.
Payton benched Wilson during the 2023 season, ending a disastrous Denver stint that led to his release and a record-breaking dead-cap hit for the Broncos.
Wilson, now with the Giants after a brief stop in Pittsburgh, has spent most of 2025 holding a clipboard.
For all the apologies and clarifications, this one felt personal. Payton may claim his focus was on a rookie’s spark, but Wilson’s response suggests those old wounds still run deep.
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