Ryan Clark has called Broncos coach Sean Payton ‘a thug’ who has ‘undercut Russell Wilson personally and professionally’ during their miserable season together in Denver.
It was announced earlier this week that Wilson has been benched by the franchise for the last two games of the season due to a standoff over his contract.
After helping Denver end a 16-game skid against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in October, Wilson said he was approached about the structure of his deal.
He signed a five-year, $245million contract extension last year that kicks in next season. It includes a clause where there’s a roster guarantee for $37m if he doesn’t pass a physical on the fifth day of the 2024 league year in March.
The financial implications of him possible getting injured in the final two games mean the Super Bowl winner will be relegated to the role of backup to Jarrett Stidham on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Discussing the situation on ESPN, Clark slammed Payton and accused the coach of targeting Wilson since his first day on the job.
‘The business of it, is not a problem to me. But, let’s be honest. Sean Payton has behaved as a thug since he became the coach of the Denver Broncos,’ Clark.
‘Immediately when he gets in the building, he starts to undercut Russell Wilson personally and professionally from his first press conference on.
‘He tells Russell Wilson you have to stop kissing babies and stop behaving as if you’re running for office.
‘Nobody kissed more babies in New Orleans than Drew Brees. Period. Point blank.
‘From the beginning he walked into this building and he had a point to prove with Russell Wilson — you’re gonna be just like everybody else.
‘I’m gonna treat you just like I treat everybody else on the team. That’s not the way it works with franchise quarterbacks.’
On Friday, Wilson spoke at length on the bombshell news from earlier this week and maintained he wanted to stay at the Broncos and win Super Bowls with the team.
‘I came here to play here, to win. I knew it was going to be a process. I signed a seven-year deal,’ he said.
‘I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to win championships here. I want to give my all every week. I want to be the best teammate and leader I can be.’
But the 35-year-old admitted he doesn’t know if he will still be in Denver next year.
Reports earlier this week, when it emerged Wilson would be benched, suggested he’ll be cut by March.
‘They came up to me during the bye week and told me if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, I’d be benched for the rest of the year,’ Wilson said.
‘It definitely hurt. It was a low blow for a bit. At the end of the day, I just want to keep my head down and try to do what I can do each play, each game, each moment.
‘Every day you wake up, you realize it´s a gift to play this game. I’m grateful for that. I hope that it´s here. And I hope that it´s here for a long time.
‘If it’s not here, then I´ll be prepared to do that somewhere else. But I hope that it´s here.’
As it was, Wilson was not immediately benched and played on up to now and the Broncos stand at 7-8 for the season with two games to go.
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