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First, Tyreek Hill calls Colin Cowherd a “thug” for his take on the Dolphins and now Ryan Clark is calling Sean Payton a “thug.”
Can’t we all just get along?
This latest accusation of thuggery, issued by the former NFL defensive back, comes after the Denver Broncos shocked the football world by benching quarterback Russell Wilson.
“Let’s be honest, Sean Payton has behaved as a thug since he became the coach of the Denver Broncos,” Ryan Clark said on Get Up on Friday.
“Immediately when he gets in the building, he starts to undercut Russell Wilson personally and professionally from his first press conference on. He tells Russell Wilson you have to stop kissing babies and stop behaving as if you’re running for office. Nobody kissed more babies in New Orleans than Drew Brees.”
“From the beginning he walked into this building and he had a point to prove with Russell Wilson: you’re gonna be just like everybody else,” Clark continued. “I’m gonna treat you just like I treat everybody else on the team. That’s not the way it works with franchise quarterbacks.”
Fellow ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlosky agreed with Ryan Clark, saying, “No one’s gonna feel bad for Russell Wilson because of his money. This is about the way that you treat someone, that, in many ways, has always been a good representative of your organization and your league.”
Two former Denver Broncos players also agreed with Clark’s take on Sean Payton.
“Da truth RC,” Kareem Jackson wrote in response to what Ryan Clark said.
“All facts,” Randy Gregory commented in response to Jackson’s remark.
Granted, Kareem Jackson was released by Denver after being suspended for a second time for illegally hitting another player and Randy Gregory was traded to the 49ers in October, so they may have a personal axe to grind with the head coach.
That being said, much of what Ryan Clark had to say rang true to many people as the comments on the YouTube video of Ryan Clark’s take attest.
Wilson, who just signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension in 2022, is the seventh-rated passer in the NFL and the Broncos at 7-8 still have an outside chance of making the playoffs.
Coincidentally, the 35-year-old Wilson will be replaced in Denver by Jarrett Stidham – the same quarterback who took over for Derek Carr in Las Vegas last year under similar circumstances.