Broncos’ Payton rips Nathaniel Hackett, blames Wilson’s struggles on ’20 dirty hands’

It didn’t take long for new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton to ruffle some feathers.

Payton, who has never been shy to speak his mind, was very candid on the collapse of last year’s Broncos team in an exclusive interview with Jarrett Bell of USA Today.

And let’s just say that another 5-12 season and missing the playoffs isn’t going to cut it this season.

“I’m going to be pissed off if this is not a playoff team,” Payton told Bell.

Last year’s Broncos came in with sky-high expectations, with first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and a new franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson.

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But the Broncos quickly became the laughing stock of the NFL. Hackett was fired after 15 games and Wilson had the worst year of his storied career.

Many pinned the blame on the fact that Wilson was past his prime, and that the five-year, $245-million extension he signed was going to doom Denver for years to come.

Payton, however, thinks others should shoulder the blame.

“There’s 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms,” Payton said to Bell. “The offence, I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell. He didn’t just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball.”

Over the off-season, Payton was clear to his new team that last season is over and done with. He also doubled down on the missteps of last year’s coaching staff.

“They can only beat the (expletive) out of you so much,” Payton said of last season. “But everybody’s got a little stink on their hands. It’s not just Russell. It was a (poor) offensive line. It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.”

How does Payton plan to change the culture this season? Well, it’s a pretty simple philosophy.

“Everything I heard about last season, we’re doing the opposite,” Payton told Bell.

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