Wilson Lashes Out at Payton on Social Media Over Giants QB Comments

Russell Wilson hit back at his former coach Sean Payton on social media after the Giants pulled off their Week 7 comeback win. The former Broncos QB brought up Payton's controversial "BountyGate" scandal from his time in New Orleans.

"Classless... but not surprised.... Didn't realize you're still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media," said Wilson to ESPN.

Wilson's heated response came after Payton's praise for Giants rookie Jaxson Dart. New York had benched Wilson, who they picked up in the offseason, after going 0-3, letting Dart take over the offense.

The bad blood goes back to their time in Denver, where Payton shocked the team by benching Wilson late in 2023. "It was a surprise to everybody in the locker room. He just told us out of nowhere," said wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to ESPN.

By letting Wilson go, the Broncos got stuck with the biggest dead-money cap hit in NFL history. The timing helped Denver dodge a $37 million injury guarantee that would've kicked in if Wilson got hurt at the end of last season.

After Denver, Wilson had a rough stretch in Pittsburgh. Even though they made the playoffs, losing five straight games pushed him to head to New York.

The Giants brought Wilson in to battle it out with Jameis Winston, who had played for Payton in New Orleans. But Wilson's three starts were a mess - the offense couldn't get going and wins were hard to come by.

Before getting benched in Denver, Wilson stood his ground. "I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. ... I know every time I step on the field it's a physical game, I never play timid, I never play scared," said the QB.

An 8-9 record in 2023 pushed Denver's front office to cut ties. "We felt it was in the best interests of our team," said the head coach about cutting Wilson in March 2024.