Russell Wilson was seen as the franchise savior for the Denver Broncos when he arrived there in 2022. Former head coach Nathaniel Hackett thought they “could do a lot” with someone like him on the roster. But they were in for an ugly reality.

Hackett was fired after 2022, and in came Sean Payton. He and Wilson became a recipe for disaster for the Broncos, their relationship now infamous for being one of the most fiery ones in the league’s history. Former Bronco Justin Simmons confirmed that their dynamic really was that volatile.

“I know their personalities just clashed from day one,” Justin Simmons said on the 4th and South podcast. “The way Sean operates and the way Russ had operated when he was in Seattle, it just clashed. I think it was also just a respect factor. Russ came at it from the position of, ‘Man, I also won a Super Bowl. I’m one of the most successful quarterbacks not only in history, but also in Seattle.’

“… It was still a respect thing. [Russell] has always been really good at making plays out of nothing, right? Trusting what he sees and being able to make checks. And Sean is very controlling. When you start butting heads with two alphas, that’s the result that’s going to happen. Just being in the locker room with Russ and stuff, I know they were butting heads a lot.”

CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo deemed the Wilson-Payton dynamic to be among the worst duos in the NFL, outshining the bitter relationship between Troy Aikman and Barry Switzer. The two were at odds from the get-go, as Payton wanted to do away with the idea of treating Wilson like a celebrity. He ousted Wilson from the private office he got to have in the team building and revoked his special access to the personal training staff.

That hard-nosed approach wasn’t all that bad for the quarterback. Wilson’s numbers improved under Payton, tallying 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions over 15 games. These are numbers most QBs in the league will be happy to have. But the issue was that Wilson was still not able to execute the offense in the way that Payton envisioned.

Russell Wilson is famous for his improvised plays. He was one of the best at it and became the deciding factor sometimes in the wins that he brought his teams. And then there’s Payton, who also operated on a mind of his own as a play-caller. Together, they were a fuse that could take out the team.

The Broncos’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15 gave fans a telling picture of this rift. Denver’s offense stalled multiple times in the red zone, only for Payton to kick a field goal when the game was out of reach. The head coach was also seen ripping into Wilson on the Broncos’ sideline, presumably for his lack of challenging goal-line plays.

The toxic relationship finally reached its peak 11 days later, when Payton finally benched Wilson for the final two games of the season. The QB told reporters that the Broncos had asked him to remove the injury guarantees in his contract, which would save the Broncos $37 million. Payton denied the benching was due to the contract and stated that it was a football decision. But the inevitable was already in the works, and everybody had an inkling about it.

In the offseason next year, Wilson was released, and the Broncos got a historic $85 million dead cap charge. They drafted Bo Nix in the first round, who is now the franchise QB that Denver hoped to see in Wilson. The drama between the two continues.

Last season, Wilson, who suited up for the New York Giants, was benched by his new team in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart. But the latter delivered beyond what everyone expected of him, effectively cementing his role as the Giants’ new starter. The timing of it all was what everyone noticed, including Payton.

Payton told the press that the team “found a little spark” with Dart, who were 0-3 till that point. He also taunted Wilson that the team had benched him before a matchup against the Broncos, suggesting that he would’ve preferred winning over his former QB instead. Wilson fired back, calling the coach “classless.” There have been QB-coach feuds in the NFL, but none are coming close to what these two have. Certainly, this is a period in his life that Wilson isn’t going to forget.

Russell Wilson hasn’t let the Sean Payton feud go 

Payton clarified that after Wilson’s attack, his comments only had to do with Jaxson Dart. It’s been a good few months since this exchange, and Wilson’s future hangs in the balance as an aging QB in an offense that is moving on. But he still hasn’t forgotten what Payton said, and is adamant that those words were meant for him.

Appearing on the Bussin’ With The Boys in March this year, Wilson said, “I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary.

“I’ve beaten Sean, too. … Just don’t disrespect me.”

Wilson has been known to be extremely sanitized with his personality and his public comments throughout his career. So, this sudden change in approach came as a shock to most observers and proved that Payton had struck a nerve in the famously composed QB. And with Payton and the Broncos turning out to be remarkably successful after his exit, those comments were always going to rub salt in his wounds.

It’s safe to say that things are still fiery between the two.