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Denver Broncos Head coach Sean Payton gave New York Giants rookie Jackson Dart his flowers after an epic win over the Broncos on Sunday.
But Payton wanted to face the veteran Super Bowl champion quarterback. Giants behind Dart is Russell Wilson.
“They found a spark in that quarterback,” Payton said of Dart during the postgame press conference following Denver's 33-32 win. “I talked to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said that we hope that changes will happen much later in our game.”
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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks with quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
While Payton may have simply meant that Dart caused problems for his team (the Giants led 26-8 late in the fourth quarter before a thrilling comeback), Wilson didn't appreciate his former Broncos coach's words.
The two have an obvious history, and Wilson felt his former head coach's comments were “classless.”
“Classless… but not surprised… Didn't realize 15+ years later you were still bounty hunting,” Wilson wrote on X with laughing emojis and his famous hashtag #LetsRide, which he used while a member of the Broncos in 2022-23.
GIANTS' BRIAN DABOLL SAYS JACKSON DARTH STARTS OVER RUSSELL WILSON: 'IT'S MY DECISION'
Wilson's “head hunting” comment also takes a jab at Payton's scandal when he was the team's head coach. New Orleans Saints. The NFL found Payton's team guilty of placing bounties on targeted players, which led to the head coach being suspended for the entire season in 2012 as part of the league's harshest punishment.
The relationship between Wilson and Payton has been rocky, to say the least, since the former was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Broncos in 2022. It didn't last long for Wilson. Payton benched him in 2023, and he was released in the 2024 offseason despite Denver receiving a whopping $85 million in dead money.
Wilson ended up going 11-19 as a starter for Denver and made no playoff appearances.
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos watch from the sidelines during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Wilson was unhappy with his benching position in 2023, especially after he said the Broncos threatened to bench him earlier that year if he didn't waive the injury guarantee in his contract. Wilson was guaranteed $37 million if he fails a physical on the fifth day of the new league year in March 2024.
Greg Penner, the Broncos' owner and CEO, denies the team ever threatened Wilson. He said the franchise wants to negotiate contract adjustments “in good faith,” although Wilson said he would involve the NFLPA. The NFLPA later sent a letter to the Broncos stating that any threat would be a violation of the league's CBA.
Still on the Broncos' payroll, Wilson signed a one-season veteran's minimum contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last offseason, the Giants signed Wilson as well as Jameis Winston to provide a veteran presence around Dart, who New York traded in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to snatch away from Ole Miss.
Head coach Brian Daboll had made it clear throughout training camp that Wilson was his team's starter, but after three straight losses to start the season, he switched to Dart. Dart won his first NFL start, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos' AFC West foe, at MetLife Stadium in Week 4.
Russell Wilson of the New York Giants watches from the sidelines during the national anthem before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on October 9, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neal/Getty Images)
The Darts and Giants were also expected to win in Denver, but a collapse of epic proportions ensued as Wil Lutz kicked the game-winning field goal to seal the biggest win of the season in the NFL.
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This will remain Dart's crime for the foreseeable future, as Wilson will support him in New York.
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