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Sean Payton knew he was inheriting a bit of a mess when he agreed to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos earlier this year thanks in no small part to the many questions and concerns surrounding Russell Wilson, and it seems like the new skipper wasted no time doling out some very candid advice to the QB.
It feels like the Broncos really have nowhere to go but up in the wake of a tumultuous 2022 campaign where they finished with a 5-12 record, first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired in the middle of the season, and Wilson arguably suffered the lowest moment of his NFL career when he got roasted by Patrick Starr of SpongeBob SquarePants fame after throwing an interception on Christmas Day.
The famously no-nonsense Payton has not been afraid to speak his mind since arriving in Denver, as he caused a bit of a stir with his incredibly blunt assessment of Hackett’s tenure and wasn’t afraid to criticize the divisive approach his starting quarterback took to preparing for games last season.
While Wilson has plenty of room to improve on the field, the man who’s cemented himself as one of the corniest players off of it could also undoubtedly benefit from some rehabilitation to his personal image as a whole.
According to a recent report from ESPN, Payton has realized that’s the case and was more than happy to let Wilson know how he feels after taking over in Denver, as the outlet shared an anecdote concerning a piece of advice he gave his QB concerning his Personal Brand at some point during the offseason:
He told Wilson that to salvage his career he needed to focus less on Russell Inc. “Will you f****** stop kissing all the babies?” he said. “You’re not running for public office.”
Based on what we know about Wilson, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him run for office after he decides to hang up his cleats, but that’s some pretty sage advice for a guy who probably needs to hear it.