Russell Wilson and Sean Payton are still going after each other after the unsuccessful partnership on the Denver Broncos. As the Super Bowl-winning head coach in the NFL made an eyebrow-raising comment on New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, Wilson didn’t mince words.
Sparks flew as the Broncos rallied from behind to defeat the Giants 33-32 in Week 7 of the NFL season. During the game, Payton and Denver found out just how dangerous former 25th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Dart, can be. Still, it might not have been a total surprise for the Broncos head coach. He made that clear with a vivid statement about the rookie, which hid a shot at Wilson (who Payton coached in Denver during the 2023 campaign) underneath the surface.
Now, the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner fired right back at the coach, with a not-so-subtle reference to Payton’s most controversial background in the NFL.
“Classless… but not surprised….,” Russell Wilson posted on his X account @DangeRussWilson. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson during the infamous 70-20 loss to the Dolphins
Payton’s statement
Payton’s Broncos are acknowledged around the NFL as one of the best defenses in the league. However, for the Giants’ rowdy, unapologetic duo of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, that wasn’t a threat so much as an exciting challenge.
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The two had much success early on, but at the end of the game, Denver’s grit, grind, and the altitude (along with inexcusable missed chances from kicker Jude McAtamney) were too much to keep in check. Regardless, Payton handed Dart his flowers after the game, though it included a stab in the back at Wilson, his former QB in the Mile High City.
“They found a little spark with that quarterback,” Payton admitted postgame about Dart, via @SNYGiants on X. “I was talking to [Giants CEO] John Mara not too long ago and I said, ‘we were hoping that that change would’ve happened long after our game.’“
With Payton and Wilson’s candid back-and-forth argument, fans across the NFL are left to wonder how the game might’ve turned out had Wilson been the starter. Either way, the Giants backup quarterback did see the field for a couple of snaps when Dart missed some minutes with an apparent ankle injury.
Bountygate
For as much success Payton has achieved in his NFL coaching career, there will always be a dark cloud shadowing over him when it comes to his time with the New Orleans Saints. More specifically, from 2009 to 2012. It is commonly known as the ‘Bountygate’, and it’s one chapter the league would love to rip off its history book.
Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos
An investigation by the league determined there was an illegal bounty program within the Saints, which included bonus payments for defensive players who took opponents out of the game. While defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was considered the mastermind behind the plot, the NFL found irrefutable evidence that Payton was well aware of the ongoing scheme. As a result, the Super Bowl XLIV–winning head coach was suspended for the entire 2012 season.
Thirteen years later, fans haven’t forgotten—and neither has Wilson, who didn’t stutter to resurface the controversy as Payton went after him.
