Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton expressed regret Friday for his comments in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell earlier this week, during which he said his predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, produced “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL”.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my FOX hat on, and not my coaching hat on,” said Payton, who became the Broncos coach after he spent last season as an NFL analyst with the network.
“It was a learning experience for me. It was a mistake obviously. I need a little more filter … I said what I said, and obviously, I needed a little more restrain. And I regret that.”
Payton’s comments, published Wednesday, were the talk of the NFL world as training camps around the league began this week.
Payton smooths over comments with Broncos leadership
Payton appeared to smooth over his comments criticizing Broncos leadership for the way they handled quarterback Russell Wilson’s first season with the franchise last year. Wilson’s team, including his personal quarterback coach, was allowed into the Broncos facility last year.
“The front office and the ownership are the two reasons I came here,” Payton said Friday. “George [Paton] and I are close. He was one of the big attractions. He and ownership. My point was it was across the board organizationally, it wasn’t one person. So, they’re good.”
During Payton’s interview with USA TODAY Sports, he blamed the Broncos leadership – and not Wilson – for allowing Wilson’s personal coach into the facility.
“That’s not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM (Geroge Paton), the president (Damani Leech) and everybody else who watched it all happen,” Payton said.
Payton says he’ll reach out to Jets coach Robert Saleh
The Broncos were 5-12 in 2022, and Hackett was fired on Dec. 26 with two games remaining during the season. Hackett is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets. On Thursday, Jets coach Robert Saleh pushed back on some of Payton’s remarks.
In addition to his criticism of Hackett, Payton suggested the Jets had played up the hype around the organization amid the arrival of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Payton said he would reach out to Saleh “at the right time.”
“I think the world of Robert. I know him. I don’t know Nathaniel. But at the right time,” Payton said in response to Saleh’s comments.
“It’ll bring more interest to the game when we play them [on Oct. 8] but it seems lightyears from now. But I’ll handle it the right way.”
Saleh said Thursday in response to Payton:
“I’m not going to acknowledge Sean. He’s been in the league a while. He can say whatever the hell he wants. But as far as what we have going on here, I kind of live by the saying, ‘If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t poppin.’ So hate away.
“Obviously, we’re doing something right if you gotta talk about us when we don’t play you till (Week 5). And I’m good with it. The guys in our locker room, they’ve earned everything that’s coming to them.”
Payton doubles down on his Broncos expectations
Payton also did not back down from his desire to reach the playoffs as Broncos coach.
Payton told USA TODAY Sports: “I’m going to be pissed off if this is not a playoff team.”
On Friday, he said: “I’m not afraid of the expectation. … being used to contending for the postseason, you don’t take it for granted. But that mindset has to be present here. I think this team has the ability. It’s our job to bring it out.”
