Another member of the Jets has come forward in defense of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after he was bluntly criticized by Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Payton blamed Hackett for the failures of the 2022 Broncos team and the poor play of quarterback Russell Wilson, calling it “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”
Offensive tackle Billy Turner, who played for the Broncos last season and also played under Hackett in Green Bay, took to Instagram Thursday to defend his coach. And he certainly did not mince his words about Payton, even throwing in a Bountygate reference.
“Seems like someone started training camp and is trying to soften the blow after realizing what he’s in for this season,” Turner said in an Instagram story. “(Expletive) bum. #BountyGate. #childish.”
Turner did apologize for his word choice. “My bad for the language. #namaste,” he said.
The Saints organization and then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ran an illegal bounty program from the 2009 to 2011 seasons, giving players bonuses for hard hits and targeting injured players. After a league investigation, Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, and the Saints were fined $500,000 and forced to forfeit their second-round picks in 2012 and 2013.
At the beginning of the day, Jets at Broncos in Week 5 was mostly a matchup of Aaron Rodgers vs. Russell Wilson. Now, there is plenty of bulletin-board material.
