Sean Payton indirectly chucks Russell Wilson under the bus

The reports out of Broncos training camp have been glowing of late. From those who haven’t stepped foot inside Broncos Park.

For the rest of us, those who actually attend practices, the story has been slightly different. Things haven’t been bad; it’s not a totally bleak picture. But there has been very little to rave about.

This year’s Broncos are largely an anonymous group, a nameless bunch of players looking to make their mark on the NFL. That’s led to a relatively boring training camp, one devoid of drama, highlights or anything else that would generally garner headlines.

The only realistic thing of note on a daily basis is the team’s quarterback battle. The three-horse race between Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson has been worth watching. But the rotation put in place by Sean Payton has made it difficult to get a sense of who is in the lead, which is exactly how the head coach wants it.

In other words, there’s not a lot to glean from training camp. It’s been a big bunch of nothing thus far.

That’s why it’s so surprising to hear the national reports about what’s happening at Broncos Park. According to those who haven’t been within 1,000 miles of the place, it’s a much different story.

The latest example happened this weekend. Dianna Russini, an NFL insider for The Athletic, dropped her latest report from Broncos training camp on her “Scoop City” podcast with Chase Daniel. And it was full of glowing reviews.

“The pace, the effort, the intensity there is significantly better than it was last year,” Russini said. “Things have picked up. There’s already been a standard that has been established that already feels different from last year.”

That sounds great. To everyone in Broncos Country, it’s music to their ears. But it’s just not true.

There’s not a person who has been at training camp every day who has that perception. At least if they’re being honest. In reality, there isn’t a lick of difference between this year’s camp and what occurred in 2023.

The Broncos go through some half speed stuff to get going. Then, they stretch. Some drills follow. An hour into practice, they haven’t done much of anything. And they’re more than halfway through the day.

While training camp under Payton isn’t quite as cushy as it was under Nathaniel Hackett, it’s not drastically different. It’s mostly light work, with about 20 minutes of actual football worked into the mix.

“The competition has risen on the field,” Russini added. “That is supporting what Payton wants, which is a really tough, hard training camp.”

Um, what? This makes it sound like players are scrapping on a daily basis, battling for spot, with tempers boiling over as they compete.

That just isn’t the case. At all. Guys going are playing hard; they’re giving full effort. But to suggest that it’s some sort of “Lord of the Flies” competition is just laughable.

“It’s old school,” Daniel added, referencing his time with Payton during his stint with the Saints. “He’s a Bill Parcells guy. He’s trying to put his stamp on this team. They weren’t tough enough in his opinion last year.”

(Insert eye roll here)

“They condition every day; that’s not normal,” Daniel added. “After practice, in full pads, (they’re) running half-gassers. He wants to push these guys to the brink on everything they do. When they do that, they’re more calloused.”

Okay, time to call balderdash. Anyone who has been at training camp has seen what happens at the end of practice.

Players run from sideline to sideline a few times. It’s a brisk jog. It’s semi-exertion.

Daniel acts like players are keeling over. He makes it sound like they’re vomiting on the sidelines. Good grief.

“This is why the Broncos hired Sean (Payton),” Russini added. “They’re drinking the Kool-Aid. They’re buying into that.”

Well, that’s true. Adam Trautman called the Broncos training camp “brutal” late last week.

It’s not. But he’s drinking the Kool-Aid.

All of this is comical. The inaccuracies are hilarious. They’re so far off that it’s ridiculous.

But it does beg one question: Who is telling Russini and Daniel this nonsense?

They haven’t seen it with their own eyes, so they’re relying on reports from those who have. No objective journalist who covers the team would say these things about what’s transpired thus far. So it’s coming from within the building.

It’s probably not a player. It’s most likely not someone in the front office. And it’s probably not the owner. That leaves one option – Sean Payton.

The Broncos head coach is feeding his friends in the media the narrative that he wants out there. He’s letting them know how well things are going in Denver.

Despite the roster devoid of talent, things are trending in the right direction. In year two, Payton is finally getting things turned toward the direction he wants. He’s finally get things his way.

(Insert eye roll)

If that is true, the next logical question would be why it didn’t occur last year. Why didn’t Bill Parcells 2.0 make an immediate impact?

The implied answer is simple. Russell Wilson was the problem.

That’ll go over well in Denver. Heck, it’ll fly in most NFL circles. But it’s laughable.

Last year, Payton blamed the Broncos previous struggles on Hackett. He then proceeded to start the season 1-5, including getting 70 points hung on him by the Dolphins.

This time around, the scapegoat is Wilson. With the high-maintenance QB out of the way, Payton can finally work his magic. Having won the power struggle, the head coach can mold the Broncos in his image.

And how is he going to do that? By playing his handpicked quarterback.

“Bo Nix has had a really good camp so far,” Russini said on her podcast. “The fact that he is able to get in and out of the huddle without any issues, the offensive line isn’t getting called for penalties, this stuff is already getting cleaned up.”

Hmm. I wonder where she got that info.

There wasn’t a single incident last year during training camp where those things were an issue. They were during the season, for sure. But not in late-July and early-August. And there hasn’t been a moment thus far in training camp where that stood out as improved. Not one.

So to cite them as a big thing that Nix is doing better than previous quarterbacks is just laughable. It’s Payton throwing Wilson under the bus.

That’s fine. That’s what people do when they are in CYA mode. But that’s not the most-alarming part of the quote.

When feeding national media members with talking points, Payton isn’t raving about his QB’s skills. He’s not saying that he can make all the throws. He’s not waxing poetic about his reads. He’s not talking about his leadership.

He’s telling everyone that Nix can recite the plays. He can get in and out of the huddle.

Wow. Yippee. Super.

In other words, Payton is suggesting that the Broncos went 8-9 a season ago because Wilson couldn’t even execute the basics. He’s telling everyone that even a competent quarterback will give Denver a better chance in 2024. And the national media is taking the bait – hook, line and sinker.

Of course, none of it is backed up by what’s been seen on the practice field. No one with a working set of eyes has seen the same thing.

But the head coach is feeding his narrative to the national folks. And it’s getting repeated like it’s the gospel.

(Insert eye roll)

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