When quarterback Russell Wilson arrived at the Denver Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center last spring, he brought an entourage with him.
Wilson was accompanied by Jake Heaps, his personal quarterback coach, and other members of his personal staff. Nathaniel Hackett, who served as Denver’s head coach at the time, allowed Wilson’s personal crew in the facility.
New head coach Sean Payton is now kicking them out.
“I’m not too familiar with that,” Payton said Monday when asked about players having their own personal coaches in the building last year, via ESPN. “That’s foreign to me — that’s not going to take place. I’m unfamiliar with it. Our staff will be here, our players will be here and that will be it.”
Wilson can continue working with his personal coaches on his own time, but they won’t have a presence in the team’s facility anymore.
It’s clear that Payton will be running the show going forward, and he hinted that Wilson’s celebrity, social media persona might be tamped down a bit as well.
“I kind of use this term, ‘A little bit more anonymous donors this season,’” Payton said. “Just know that we’re working, but with a little bit less visibility on social media and all those other things. We’re going to get to work, and ultimately, it’s how we do in the fall. We kind of go from there. We have to earn it with our fans. We’ve got fantastic fans that will appreciate that.”
There’s a new sheriff in town, Broncos Country. Payton wants players to do their talking on the field, and they’ll be coached by the in-house staff. Fans can probably expect less visibility from Wilson and his crew going forward.
Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
