The Broncos clinched one of their most exciting wins of the season in Sunday's 33-32 thriller against the Giants, and perhaps no one was more pleased than coach Sean Payton.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix put up 33 points in the fourth quarter (after being held scoreless the previous three) in Denver's unlikely comeback victory, garnering praise from Payton and NFL fans alike. But Payton also took time in his post-game press conference to give a classy nod to Giants' Jaxson Dart, who similarly impressed with 283 passing yards and three touchdowns in his team's heart-wrenching loss.
Payton's praise for Dart also came across to some fans as a bit of shade thrown at former Giants starter Russell Wilson. Here's what the Broncos coach said:
"They found a little spark with that quarterback [Dart]. I was talking to John Mara not too long ago, and I said we were hoping that that change would've happened long after our game."
Sean Payton talks about the Giants' organization and his respect for the Mara and Tisch families:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 20, 2025
"They found a little spark with that quarterback. I was talking to John Mara not too long ago and I said, 'we were hoping that that change would've happened long after our game.'" pic.twitter.com/Zk7TVXs1xY
Payton didn't name any names, but it felt like an ever-so-slight jab at Wilson, who parted ways with the Broncos after a disastrous two-year stint and may not have the friendliest relationship with Payton in light of all that's happened.
Lots of NFL fans thought Payton snuck in a petty dig at Russ:
Sean Payton just found the nicest way possible to shit on Russell Wilson https://t.co/1thXkuuSoH
— Rob D (@rdeeps52) October 20, 2025
LMAOOO petty shot at Russ https://t.co/xtTOU4M2pv
— Spencer1of1 (@rattler1of1) October 20, 2025
he hates russell wilson so much lmfao https://t.co/c7tpHyACyJ
— jack (@janderson22_) October 20, 2025
Russ catching strays LMAOOOOO https://t.co/LxX7vZadSe
— Fittie Smalls (@FittieSmalls) October 20, 2025
The Broncos improved to 5-2 on the year while the Giants suffered their fifth loss, with Dart going 2-2 in his rookie campaign so far.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean Payton Seemed to Shade Russell Wilson After Broncos’ Win Over Giants.
