Wilson-Payton Feud: Super Bowl Rings Can't Hide Tension

0:00On March 4, tensions between former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton boiled over during the recent regular season. Payton benched Wilson in his last year with the team before releasing him, blaming the veterans' dip in play on poor focus and prep work. A head of Denver's matchup with the New York Giants, Payton took another dig, saying he preferred facing Wilson over the Giants' rookie backup. This came after just one season together, where Payton had guided the Broncos since 2023. Wilson fired back publicly on social media, labeling Payton classless and bringing up the coach's old bounty scandal from his Saints days. Fans and players quickly picked up on the exchange, highlighting the bad blood from Wilson's benching over a $37 million injury, guarantee in his contract. On a recent podcast appearance, the 37-year-old Wilson opened up about feeling disrespected despite respecting Payton's play calling. Skills. He pointed out they both have one Super Bowl ring, Wilson from 2013 with Seattle, Payton from 2009 in New Orleans.

1:04The riff shows no signs of cooling as both sides stick to their stories on what went wrong last season. season.