After Sean Payton, head coach of the Denver Broncos, took a dig at his former quarterback Russell Wilson, the playmaker is now firing back.

Russell Wilson and Sean Payton will almost certainly no longer be friends.

After the Denver Broncos won 33-32 against the New York Giants thanks to 33 points in the fourth quarter, head coach Sean Payton took a dig at his former quarterback Russell Wilson: “I was hoping they would make the quarterback change later.”

The change in question—from Wilson to rookie Jaxson Dart—sparked a “fire,” Payton explains.

Wilson fights back against Payton: “Didn’t know you…”

The now-benched signal caller wasn’t going to let that slide. He wrote on ‘X’: “Tacky, but not surprising. Didn’t know you were still bounty hunting in the media 15 years later. LetsRide.”

Wilson is referring to “Bounty Gate,” one of the biggest scandals in NFL history. As head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Payton allegedly instructed his defense between 2009 and 2011 to deliberately injure opposing star players on offense. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season as a result.

The background to the feud: Wilson moved from the Seattle Seahawks to the Broncos in 2022, where he had two disappointing seasons (11-19 record in his starts) under Payton.

In the fall of 2023, he was benched despite having a contract (with $37 million guaranteed for 2025) — allegedly because he refused a contract adjustment. The NFLPA accused the Broncos of blackmailing Wilson with the threat of benching him, which violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Owner Greg Penner rejected this, emphasizing “good negotiations.” In the summer of 2024, the Broncos nevertheless released Wilson and swallowed $85 million in dead money in their own salary cap.

Classless… but not surprised….
Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media. LetsRide

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) October 21, 2025