“There’s so much dirt around that": When Sean Payton defended Russell Wilson after unsuccessful stint

The Seahawks made full use of the Russell Wilson trade situation and exchanged him for multiple draft picks and players in a blockbuster trade. The Russell Wilson episode at the Denver Broncos took an unexpected turn when newly recruited coach Sean Payton defended the former Seattle Seahawks signal-caller for the 2022 season debacle.

Wilson had left the Seahawks in 2022 to pursue a career with another franchise, hoping to reach a Super Bowl. However, Wilson had a forgettable season with Denver as he passed for 3,524 yards and 16 touchdowns but took 55 sacks and lost 368 yards from sacks. Under new coach Nathaniel Hackett and the leadership of Wilson, the Broncos finished the season with a 5-12 record.

When Payton took charge, he critiqued former coach Hackett’s tenure and defended Wilson. During an interview with USA Today in July 2023, Payton said:

“There’s so much dirt around that. There’s 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms. The offense. I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell.”

Payton didn’t just stop there. He pointed fingers at Nathaniel Hackett and called the former coach’s tenure “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” It led to massive backlash as Hackett and his former protégé, Aaron Rodgers, responded to Payton.

Russell Wilson’s struggles were evident in multiple facets, as he ranked last in the league in red zone scoring. Denver had difficulty sustaining drives, as they often failed to convert on third downs. Their offense also lacked cohesion, which led to frequent miscommunication and delays. But Payton argued that it was Hackett’s fault instead of Wilson's.

“He didn’t just flip," Payton continued. "He still has it. This B*** S*** that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball.”

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Sean Payton uplifts the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson

Regardless, Sean Payton’s backing of Wilson worked, as both Denver and Wilson showed signs of improvement in the 2023 season. Denver finished the season with an 8-9 record, including a five-game winning streak and a 24-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Meanwhile, Wilson showed statistical improvement by completing 66.4% of his passes for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns.