New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson appeared to send an indirect message at Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton
The New York Jets were taken aback when Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took unprompted shots at the team for “trying to win the offseason”. Payton also took a direct shot at Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, calling Hackett’s coaching job in Denver last season “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL”.
Hackett was the Broncos’ head coach in 2022, leading the team to a disappointing 4-11 record under quarterback Russell Wilson until he was fired prior to the end of the season.
The comments from Payton led to a litany of responses from Jets players, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
While Payton later apologized for the comments he made about Hackett and the Jets, this rivalry does not seem to be going away anytime soon.
On August 8, James Palmer of NFL Network reported the bizarre preseason rules Sean Payton had in place for starters who were pulled from the team’s first preseason game.
What head coach Sean Payton doesn't want to see during the #broncos 1st preseason game Friday after starters are pulled:
– Uniforms off after you're done playing
– No sunglasses
– No Gilligan hats (moving forward this is my term for bucket hats)
– No interviews during the game— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 8, 2023
Word of Payton’s preseason rules must have made its way to the Jets.
During the team’s second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, Garrett Wilson made sure to break all of Payton’s rules at once in what was a legendary trolling effort.
While the Jets’ second-year wide receiver has not verbally confirmed his attire was intended to troll Payton, Wilson insinuated as much by liking the following Twitter post.
A+ Sean Payton troll @GarrettWilson_V pic.twitter.com/KpVzDNXC5Q
— Brendan (@jetfella) August 12, 2023
This likely isn’t the last we’ll hear of the Jets-Payton feud before the start of the regular season.
The Broncos will host the Jets at Mile High Stadium in Week 5.
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