It is game day eve in Broncos Country.
As the Denver Broncos prepare to face their division rivals the Las Vegas Raiders, new head coach Sean Payton recently commented on quarterback Russell Wilson’s public persona in an interview.
Buy Broncos TicketsWilson faced backlash last season as his public exposure did not match his play on the field. So Payton, as told to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham in his feature story on Payton, recalled saying this to his star quarterback:
He told Wilson that to salvage his career he needed to focus less on Russell Inc. ‘Will you f—ing stop kissing all the babies’ he said. ‘You’re not running for public office.’
Following that interview, Peyton Manning joined the Pat McAfee show to discuss the Wilson-Payton dynamic and his thoughts on them this season. For Manning, he believes that Payton will put Wilson in position to succeed on the football field. But Manning’s caveat: it won’t be right away.
“Sean Payton is gonna put Russell in positions to be the best Russell he can be,” Manning told McAfee. “I don’t think it’ll be perfect right away but it’ll get better as the season goes on.”
Check out Manning giving his take on the Wilson-Payton dynamic on Pat McAfee below.
"Sean Payton is gonna put Russell in positions to be the best Russell he can be..
I don't think it'll be perfect right away but it'll get better as the season goes on"
Peyton Manning #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TeTWg2mppb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2023
For the full Manning interview, check out the video below.
Payton and Wilson will make their 2023 debut when the Broncos host the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
