Get your popcorn ready.
The Denver Broncos’ game against the New York Jets in Week 5 is going to be quite the showdown.
Broncos coach Sean Payton absolutely ripped former Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett during a recent interview with USA TODAY‘s Jarrett Bell. Payton seemed to be sticking up for quarterback Russell Wilson and pointed out that last season’s struggles did not all fall on the QB.
“It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL,” Payton said of Hackett’s 15-game run with the Broncos (he was fired with a 4-11 record with two games remaining last year).
Hackett now serves as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, a team that will be followed by NFL Films for “Hard Knocks” this summer. Payton seems to believe the Jets could fall into a similar hype trap as Denver did under Hackett in 2022.
“[Denver spent ] so much (expletive) time trying to win the offseason — the PR, the pomp and circumstance, marching people around and all this stuff,” Payton told Bell. “We’re not doing any of that. The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming.”
New York coach Robert Saleh was asked about Payton’s comments on Thursday. This was his response:
Robert Saleh responds to Sean Payton's comments:
"If you ain't got no haters, you ain't popping. So hate away." pic.twitter.com/mnBk3pg0LV
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) July 27, 2023
“I’m not going to acknowledge Sean on that — 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 … if you ain’t got no haters you ain’t poppin’. So hate away, you know? Obviously, we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play until Week [5]. … There’s a lot of crows pecking at our neck.”
Jets offensive lineman Billy Turner, who played under Hackett with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-2021 and again with the Broncos last season, also responded to Payton’s comments.
“Seems like someone started training camp and is trying to soften the blow after realizing what he’s in for this season,” Turner wrote on his Instagram story. “[Expletive] bum. #BountyGate #childish.”
Payton, who has said the Broncos need to keep a lower profile this offseason, has certainly given the Jets plenty of bulletin-board material. Denver’s game against New York on Oct. 8 will be must-watch television.
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