Nathaniel Hackett addressed criticism from Sean Payton for the first time on Tuesday where he said “there’s a code, there’s a way things are done” when referring to coaching. He said the whole situation was “unfortunate” and “it sucks” but was happy the comments didn’t come during the season when the two teams are set to face off in Week 5.
“I’m almost thankful we got that out of the way. We all understand the way certain people feel and think,” Hackett told reporters.
Payton caused waves last week when he took several scathing shots at Hackett, the former Broncos coach who he is replacing. He said that “everything” he heard about last season, “we’re doing the opposite,” when referring to the job Hackett did in 2022 when the team finished 5–12. Hackett was fired before the end of the season in his first year there.
