Did Sean Payton take a little shot at Russell Wilson on Radio Row?

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton made the rounds on Radio Row in Las Vegas on Friday, getting asked plenty of questions about QB Russell Wilson.

While Payton told Kay Adams he’s looking for the “perfect marriage” with his quarterback, he might have been even more revealing in an interview with Jim Rome.

Rome, a longtime radio host, asked Payton what he wants from his quarterback. The answer was pretty curious, and looks like a subtle shot at Wilson.

“I think it’s important that they’re quick processors. This was a strength of Drew’s, it’s a strength of Mahomes,” Payton said. “These guys have to operate quickly in six or seven seconds. It’s the hardest thing for us to evaluate.”

Payton was not happy with Wilson multiple times this year, including the infamous meltdown in Detroit on the sidelines. Wilson consistently had trouble getting the ball snapped before the play clock hit zero, and Payton even threatened to put a wristband on him if he couldn’t get the plays in fast enough.

Then, during the plays, Wilson took 45 sacks, which was the fifth most in the NFL. That number didn’t go up the last two games, because Wilson was benched in favor of backup Jarrett Stidham. At the time, Payton said it was because the offense needed a “spark.” He rolled that line out again on Friday during multiple interviews.

As for Wilson’s future, Payton says the door is still open for a return, just like he claimed at his end of the season press conference.

“That’s a possibility,” Payton told Rome on Wilson potentially returning. “There are a lot of skeptics that are like ‘oh you’re crazy, he didn’t play the last two weeks.’ We needed a spark offensively. We weren’t scoring.”

That still feels like a long-shot, but we’ll see. In the meantime, Payton wants someone who can process things quickly. He mentioned Brees and Mahomes, but it feels like he doesn’t think that’s a strength of Wilson’s.