Peyton Manning: Payton, Wilson ‘not going to be perfect’
DENVER (BVM) – The Denver Broncos are set to officially kick off a new era on Sunday as they take on one of their biggest rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, to open the season at Empower Field at Mile High.
However, there are plenty of questions coming into the game, and the season as a whole, including how quarterback Russell Wilson will play in his second year in Denver, as well as how he will get along with new head coach Sean Payton throughout the year.
Since Payton was acquired and officially hired by the Broncos shortly after last season, he has made his intentions clear that things would be changing following a disappointing 5-12 campaign, particularly with his quarterback. Last year, it was reported that Wilson had his own support staff and quarterbacks coach that he worked out with outside of the Broncos’ facility. For Payton, that wasn’t going to fly.
“I’m not too familiar with that,” Payton said during his introductory press conference with the Broncos. “Yeah, that’s foreign to me. That’s not gonna take place here. I’m unfamiliar with it, but our staff will be here, our players will be here and that’ll be it.”
Payton’s hard-nose coaching style has continued with Wilson throughout the summer, and came to a head recently in a piece with ESPN where the head coach called out his quarterback, saying he needs to focus less on “Russell Inc.”
Sean Payton wants Russ to focus more on football and less on "Russell Inc." 👀
More from @SethWickersham on the man reshaping the Broncos (@espnplus) 🔗 https://t.co/Geu0yrih47 pic.twitter.com/VanptB96Mb
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 6, 2023
“Will you f—ing stop kissing all the babies?” Payton said. “You’re not running for public office.”
The quote has only added fuel to the fire surrounding the perceived relationship between the head coach and the Pro Bowl signal caller as the season begins, but on Thursday, former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning gave his take on what he has seen between Payton and Wilson thus far during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
"The first thing Sean Payton asked Russell Wilson when he got to Denver was can I coach you hard..
Russell said absolutely you can and I'm excited about this Broncos team"
Peyton Manning #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/iZHoOj1MU6
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2023
“The first thing he [Payton] asked Russell is, ‘Russell, can I coach you hard?’” Manning said. “And Russell said, ‘Yes, absolutely you can.’ I think this is what this is about, is that Sean Payton is going to coach all of his players hard, including the quarterback.
“Russell wants to be coached … Sean’s a tough coach. He has expectations, and he wants Russell to focus on playing quarterback. Russell is going to do that.”
Manning, who spent four seasons in Denver and won his second Super Bowl ring with the franchise, believes Payton’s words are nothing more than getting his quarterback ready to put his sole focus on the 2023 season. The Hall of Fame quarterback also believes Wilson will do just that, and by the time all is said and done, the Broncos could have a much-improved season in Payton’s first year at the helm.
“I’m excited about the Broncos,” Manning said. “It’s not going to be perfect right away, it’s not supposed to be … I do think they’ll get better throughout the season, and Sean Payton knows how to grind out a win until things start kind of gelling and kind of clicking. I think they’re in a good place. I see Russell having a good year and I see Sean Payton coaching his players hard like he’s supposed to.”
Success for the Broncos will only come with better quarterback play. Last season, in his first year in Denver after being acquired by the Broncos from the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster offseason trade, Wilson had one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, throwing for just over 3,500 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with an ugly 38.7 adjusted quarterback rating.
Coaching the likes of Tony Romo, Drew Brees and others to success in the past, Payton may be just what Wilson needs to turn things around, and Manning believes Payton will give his new quarterback every chance to succeed.
"Sean Payton is gonna put Russell in positions to be the best Russell he can be..
I don't think it'll be perfect right away but it'll get better as the season goes on"
Peyton Manning #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TeTWg2mppb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2023
“Russell Wilson is Russell Wilson,” Manning said. “He has his own unique style.
“He’s going to put Russell in the position to be the best Russell can be. He’s not going to ask him to be Drew Brees and do those type of things. That’s what great coaches do. Russell is going to be more comfortable this year … It might not be right away. It won’t be perfect in Week 1 against the Raiders. But I see him getting better throughout the season.”
Following a campaign where the Denver offense was one of the worst in the league, Broncos fans will certainly be hoping their former Hall of Fame quarterback is right. While the relationship between Payton and Wilson has seemed to have some rocky moments so far, a strong start to the season on the field should quiet a lot of the noise coming out of Denver.
