As Sean Payton prepares for his first NFL Draft since becoming the Denver Broncos‘ head coach, he could not help but needle his new franchise quarterback.
In Denver’s pre-draft press conference Thursday, Payton referenced Russell Wilson’s recent golf cart accident when fielding a question about the team’s offseason program.
Wilson went viral earlier this week when his golf cart flipped over while he was playing at a course in Colorado. Fortunately, neither Wilson nor anyone in his group suffered any injuries.
While Payton delivered the one-liner without skipping a beat, Broncos general manager George Paton could not help but grin. However, neither man mentioned the name of the golf course in which Wilson’s accident occurred — Arrowhead, which is also the name of the home stadium of the Broncos AFC West rivals (and defending Super Bowl champions), the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Peyton and Paton are united in their effort to get Wilson back on track after a rough first season in Denver for the nine-time Pro Bowler. Wilson threw for just 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career-worst 60.5% completion rate as the Broncos went just 5-12 in a season that saw first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett get fired after just 15 games.
The Broncos then traded a late first-round pick in the 2023 draft to Payton’s old team, the New Orleans Saints, for his contract rights. Payton went 152-89 in 15 seasons with the Saints, leading New Orleans to its first Super Bowl title in 2009.
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The Broncos’ own first-round pick in next week’s draft at No. 5 overall belongs to Wilson’s old team, the Seattle Seahawks, as part of the trade that brought the quarterback to Denver last offseason.
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