Sean Payton may be committed to maximizing quarterback Russell Wilson as the new head coach of the Broncos. But that doesn't mean he's particularly thrilled about Wilson in general. Besides firmly disallowing Wilson's personal assistants from access to team facilities, Payton wasn't overly keen on inheriting the former Seahawks QB when he took the job, according to Fox Sports colleague Terry Bradshaw.
Asked by Altitude Sports 92.5 about Payton's return to coaching, Bradshaw suggested the longtime Saints coach didn't end up with the Cardinals, one of two remaining vacancies, because of Kyler Murray: "Arizona? Nah. No. That quarterback, he didn't wanna work with that quarterback," Bradshaw said. Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall draft pick, but the QB has battled injuries, on-field inconsistencies and leadership questions for years.
So Payton preferred to work with Wilson?
"Uh ... I don't think so," Bradshaw said with a laugh, "but you know what, that's all he's got. He's got no choice. But I'll tell you one thing: he'll get the most out of him. You already heard him say, they'll be no private locker (and coaches for Wilson) -- I can't believe people do stuff like that. ... The teammates see that preferential treatment, they don't like it. ... He'll stop that."
Payton, for what it's worth, did support Wilson at times during his introductory press conference as Broncos coach, suggesting the QB looked more like his former self in the final games of the 2022 season, and that Wilson should benefit from an offense more tailored to his strengths moving forward.
