One day after candidly criticizing former Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett, new Broncos coach Sean Payton backed off his verbal assault and said he made a mistake.
Payton referred to Hackett in an interview with USA Today on Thursday as doing “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL,” during his 15-game stint last season. The Broncos were 4-11 when they fired Hackett and finished 5-12.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my FOX hat on and not my coaching hat on,” Payton said at Friday’s news conference, referencing his former television studio analyst stint. “I said this to the team in a meeting yesterday, we’ve had a great offseason relative to that and I’ve been preaching that message, and here I am, the veteran, stepping in it. It was a learning experience for me, it was a mistake, obviously. I need a little bit more filter.
“There’s a pound of flesh for these guys, and as a coach you stick up for them, and after a while we’re past that season last year and, you know, I said what I said. Obviously, I needed a little bit more restraint and I regret that.”
Payton said he was regretting his words 40 minutes after saying them.
Payton also criticized the way the Broncos’ organization handled the lead-up to the 2022 season after acquiring quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.
After the buildup, Wilson endured a horrific season and Payton told USA Today the problem wasn’t just Wilson. He said it was an organization-wide mess-up — and among the culprits he pointed toward was general manager George Paton, his new boss.
Payton also attempted to soften that blow on Friday.
“The front office and the ownership are the two reasons I came here,” Payton said. “George and I are close; he was one of the big attractions, he and ownership. My point was it was just across the board organizationally. It wasn’t one person.”
Hackett is now the offensive coordinator of the Jets and Payton even took shots at that organization, which obtained high-profile quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. He said the Jets were trying to win the offseason.
New York coach Robert Saleh fired back at Payton on Thursday, including saying, “Obviously we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play you until Week (5).”
Payton said he planned to reach out to Saleh and the Jets.
“Yeah, at the right time. I think the world of Robert, I know him,” Payton said. “I don’t know Nathaniel. At the right time. It certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now. But I’ll handle it the right way.”
Payton, 59, was brought in to revive the fortunes of the Broncos, who have missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons. He coached the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl title during the 2009 season.
The addition of Wilson did little to spark the offense as Denver scored 16 or fewer points in 11 of the 15 games under Hackett.
After Hackett’s departure, the Broncos scored 24 and 31 points while splitting two games under interim coach Jerry Rosburg.
Wilson passed for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games last season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in nine of 10 seasons with the Seahawks prior to the trade.
–Field Level Media