Matt Calkins: Kudos to Giants QB Russell Wilson for responding to Broncos' Sean Payton

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Oct 24, 2025

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — Typically, the high road offers a more peaceful journey.

It doesn't drag your emotions into the mud. It doesn't flood your mind with thoughts of comebacks or one-ups.

But sometimes — even if it defies your nature — sometimes, you gotta fight back.

For three years former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson stayed quiet while ex-players, coaches and media turned him into a human piñata. The nine-time Pro Bowler sat above the fray while piling on him became as fashionable as a hoodie under a sport coat.

Then-Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, famous for his camaraderie with former players, essentially said he'd have no problem with boos in 2022 when Wilson returned to Seattle with the Broncos. Richard Sherman has developed a legitimate obsession with his ex-teammate — most recently saying Wilson couldn't win without the Legion of Boom. Then on Sunday, after Denver beat the Giants, 33-32, Broncos coach Sean Payton seemed to take a swipe at Wilson when discussing New York quarterback Jaxson Dart — who threw three touchdown passes in the loss — replacing Wilson as the team's QB1.

“I was talking to (Giants co-owner) John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that change would’ve happened long after our game,’ ” Payton said.

That's when Wilson said "enough."

Two days later, the Giants' backup quarterback fired back at Payton on social media.

“Classless … but not surprised….” Wilson said on X. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”

The latter part of that post referred to the "Bountygate" scandal that got Payton suspended for a season when he was coaching the Saints. The allegation was that New Orleans players would receive bonuses from a slush fund for taking targeted players out of games, and the evidence was strong enough to prompt some of the most severe sanctions in NFL history.

Most people wouldn't expect Wilson to take a shot like that, because in 14 seasons in the league he never had. You know what, though? Good for him.

On Wednesday, Payton said his remarks had nothing to do with Wilson and everything to do with Dart. What do the kids say today? "OK, Jan."

You think there's a chance in hell Payton would have said something similar if Drew Brees was the guy Dart replaced? No. Sean never seemed to think too highly of Russell, and likely assumed his comment would go unchecked.

It didn't. Now we'll see who tries Wilson next.

Earlier I mentioned Sherman, who, if single, would list Russ-bashing as one of his hobbies on Tinder. In 2022 he said that the Broncos defense was going to "have to be historic (emphasis, his)" if Denver was going to win a title — a clear illustration of how little he thought of Russell. In response to a timeout debacle that season, Sherman said "You know the difference between Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning? Russell does not have the power to call that timeout without the sideline."

When sports writer Dov Kleiman tweeted that Russell Wilson was only 4 for 14 with 48 passing yards in a game vs. Houston, Sherman quote-tweeted him with a chef emoji — seemingly mocking Wilson's ability to "cook." And then there was "Thursday Night Football" a few weeks back, when Sherman said that without the Legion of Boom behind him, Wilson's records were 4-11, 7-8 and 0-3.

As radio host and former ESPN anchor Dan Patrick pointed out, this was revisionist history — as Wilson had three double-digit-win seasons with the Seahawks from 2018-20, including a division title in '20. But when you're consumed by hostility, you leave facts like those out.

Former Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said recently that Wilson and Sherman have to go to a "marriage counseling"-like setting and "just hash it out." But all the animosity has been one-sided. Russell hasn't said a word about Richard. Not yet at least.

In that same interview, Bennett defended Wilson against fellow "TNF panelist Tony Gonzalez, who said Russell had played his way out of the Hall of Fame. Bennett argued that, by that logic, NBA players such as Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony would have lost their HOF status after down years at the end of their careers. It's a solid point.

Look, I don't necessarily feel bad for Russell Wilson. He has a Super Bowl ring, hundreds of millions of dollars, a beautiful wife and multiple children. He's doing just fine. But he has been equal parts punchline and punching bag over the past few years, and while some of the mockery was justified, it's gone overboard.

Wilson has been taking snaps his whole life. On Tuesday he showed he can snap back, too. Kudos.

Competitors know best: It's not always about what you want to do — it's about what you have to.