Sean Payton had a good idea of what he was getting in quarterback Russell Wilson when he agreed to become the Denver Broncos’ new head coach earlier this year.
“I’ve worked with Russell — I was at the Pro Bowl in Florida years ago and coached him,” Payton said at the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona last week. “Shoot, we’ve played two or three different playoff games against him. I was very familiar with him.”
Payton knows Wilson has played at a high level in the NFL, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career. Not all of the blame for 2022 should be directed solely at Wilson, though.
“There’s probably a little bit of dirt on a lot of people’s hands,” Payton said. “When you win five games, it is what it is. I don’t think I need to elaborate any more. It wasn’t good. Wasn’t good on offense, that’s for sure. It was hard film to watch.”
Wilson still has the attributes that helped him win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, and Payton will aim to highlight the QB’s strengths while minimizing his weaknesses in 2023.
“He’s super competitive,” Payton said. “He’s won at a high level. He’s someone that I think moves well. He’s someone that I think works extremely hard. It’s hard to find guys with all those traits.”
Payton had plenty of success with Drew Brees while coaching the New Orleans Saints, but he also won with Taysom Hill, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston. As a former QBs coach, Payton knows how to get the best out of the position. Broncos fans will hope he can do the same with Wilson.
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