Zach Wilson is finally ready to leave the tumultuous days with the Jets behind him. With the recent reports of his trade to the Denver Broncos, the young quarterback finally gets a secure home ahead of the upcoming season. New York got a sixth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, while Denver received the former No.2 QB and a seventh-round selection with the trade, as per ESPN.

The two franchises would be splitting his $5.5 million salary due this year. While Sean Payton is expected to hone Wilson’s skills to his former glory, a former NFL player questioned the coach’s history with their previous quarterback, Russell Wilson.

Former NFL star calls Sean Payton a “quarterback whisperer”

On the Nightcap podcast, two former NFL athletes presented their thoughts on the recent trade and had contrasting opinions about Payton’s contribution to the QB position. Ex-wide receiver Chad “Ocho” Johnson affirmed his faith in Zach’s addition to the Broncos. He expressed his optimism about the 24-year-old becoming the starter for the team under the guidance of the head coach.

Calling Payton a “quarterback whisperer,” Johnson even compared Wilson to Drew Brees, who became a Super Bowl Champion under the HC. Shannon Sharpe disagreed with Johnson’s evaluation of the former Saints HC’s abilities and quoted the Wilson situation as an example. Furthermore, the former Denver tight end feels that the HC hasn’t been able to lead any quarterback to great success apart from Brees. 

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“Help me understand this, Sean Payton, other than Drew Brees, who has he whispered?” challenged Sharpe, too, which Johnson came to the HC’s defense. “If you had been a little bit more patient with the relationship between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton and allowed them a little more time to -gel, to work their chemistry together, he would’ve been the quarterback whisperer for Russell Wilson as well.”

Johnson might blame the team management for being impatient with the veteran. But, reports suggest that Payton wasn’t quite eager to allow Wilson another season for a comeback, even at the cost of suffering a massive dead cap hit.

Was Sean Payton impatient with Russell Wilson?

The former Saints’ head coach took hold of the reigns of Denver in 2023, which was Wilson’s second season in the franchise. Unable to recreate his magic from Seattle, the quarterback was under pressure to perform, and the 2023 season saw major reforms in the surrounding offense. Though the veteran couldn’t deliver what his contract promised, his game considerably improved from last season. But then came the benching in the last two weeks.

While the former Super Bowl Champion’s unsatisfactory performance was thought to be the prime reason, the quarterback revealed some concerning about behind-the-scenes events. He alleged that he was threatened with benching for nine games if he didn’t agree to forgo his injury guarantees. With this shocking revelation by Wilson, fans came out in his support, blaming Payton for sabotaging the QB. Despite the humongous $85 million salary cap hit, Denver parted ways with the 35-year-old this offseason.

While whether there was actual bad blood between the head coach and the QB or not remains a matter of hearsay, Russell Wilson clearly felt the hostility, as has been clear by his statements. Even while bidding farewell to Denver, he chose to thank everyone, including the cafeteria ladies, but not the team’s management, especially Payton. As for the 2024 season, the quarterback is ready to make a comeback with his new Pittsburgh Steelers.