Broncos' Sean Payton: Comment not directed at Russell Wilson

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday the comment he made after Denver's wild 33-32 comeback win over the New York Giants was about Jaxson Dart, not a swipe at his former quarterback Russell Wilson.

"Look, the euphoria, the way that game unfolded, that was strictly about Dart," Payton said. "That was in no way shape or form, anything that was directed at Russ. I might be able to see how he might have perceived that, but coming off that win and watching how [Dart] played, that wasn't any intention at all."

He added he understood how Wilson might perceive it differently, but stressed that wasn't the intention.

After Sunday's win, Payton praised the Giants' rookie, saying "they found a little spark with that quarterback" and recounted a recent chat with team owner John Mara: "We were hoping that (quarterback) change would have happened long after our game."

Wilson, who lost the Giants' starting job to Dart in Week 4, responded by calling Payton "classless" Tuesday on X.

The exchange revives a tense history. Payton benched Wilson for Denver's final two games in 2023, and the Broncos released him in March 2024 while absorbing a record $85 million dead-cap charge.

Wilson later stated that the team threatened an in-season benching if he didn't adjust the injury guarantee in his deal. However, club leadership has maintained that the late-year benching was independent of contract talks.

Wilson, now the Giants' backup, did not play in Sunday's thriller. Dart went 15 of 33 for 283 yards with three touchdowns and a late interception as Denver rallied from 19-0 down with 33 fourth-quarter points to win on a walk-off field goal.

For the season, Wilson has completed 58.9% of his passes for 786 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He made brief appearances in New York's wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles following Dart's ascension to starter.

--Field Level Media