Russell Wilson Doubles Down on Call-Out of Broncos HC Sean Payton

Last October, former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson ignited a virtual firestorm when he — through his official X account — called out Broncos head coach Sean Payton as "classless" and referenced "bounty-hunting" for remarks Payton made about Wilson at that time.

On Tuesday, when asked about the comments, Wilson again barked back at his ex-coach.

"Sometimes you get fatigued of people talking about you," Wilson said on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast. "I got the same amount of rings as you got ... listen, I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller and this and that. But to take a shot, I don't like. I don't think it's necessary. Especially when I'm not even on your team anymore."

"I've stayed quiet for so long. There's a time and a place where I'm not. I know who I am as a competitor, as a champion. I've beaten Sean, too. ... It's not a matter of disrespect. Just don't disrespect me."

Russ finally addresses the Sean Payton fallout

OUT NOW 🎙️ https://t.co/4iBSSmNLMa pic.twitter.com/vx9aEDgQe9
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) March 3, 2026

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payton, russ — Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) before the game against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Genesis of The Beef

To keep a long story short, the Wilson-Payton marriage, which lasted all of one year, was doomed from the beginning. The latter tried to make it work despite realizing the former, who was acquired before he'd arrived, was not a good fit for his offensive system. Payton benched Wilson in 2023, before releasing him the following offseason.

Wilson spent the 2025 campaign first as the New York Giants' starting quarterback before transitioning to a deep reserve behind then-rookie Jaxson Dart. After the Broncos beat the Giants last October, a game in which Dart started, Payton unwittingly ignited a verbal sparring session with the future Hall-of-Fame signal-caller.

"They found a little spark with that quarterback [Dart]. I was talking to John Mara not too long ago, and I said we were hoping that that change would've happened long after our game," Payton told reporters.

To which Wilson posted on X: "Classless… but not surprised…. Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media. 😎😂 #LetsRide 🤣"

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

And here we are.

Denver Free of Russ Deal

It took another couple of years, but the Broncos are fiscally clear of the ill-fated decision to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks and subsequently hand him a lucrative extension — processes that involved multiple first-round picks and a $245 million commitment.

Upon cutting Wilson in 2024, Denver opted to halve his NFL record-setting $85 million in remaining dead money, the last of which has officially come off the books, freeing the club to be more aggressive in importing talent this offseason.

“I think we navigated it well," Broncos CEO Greg Penner said in January. "You prefer not to have that kind of dead money on your books because it can be a limiter, but I love the approach we took, which was none of us were ever going to make any excuses for that. So, we just looked at it as, ‘We’re going to have some constraints. We’re going to have to be scrappy, and we’re going to figure it out and put a great product on the field.’ I think that we’ve done that. We’re in a good position now in terms of cap space, as well as our draft picks. That’s exciting as we go into this offseason.”