Broncos' Sean Payton shares Russell Wilson update after controversial comments

Current Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton sounds happy with where quarterback Russell Wilson is today compared with what Wilson produced under former coach Nathaniel Hackett.

"It’s hard because there were a lot of other factors a year ago," Payton said about Wilson on Tuesday, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "We are really focused on what he is doing within the offense. Obviously, he is moving around well, his weight is down, he is in really good shape and he’s working really hard. There are a lot of nuances still we are working through." 

For what's become a well-known USA Today article published last week, Payton blasted Hackett, who is currently serving as offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, for "one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" last season. Payton added that "a lot of people had dirt on their hands" regarding Wilson's poor play under Hackett throughout last fall until Denver dismissed the first-year coach when the club had a 4-11 record in late December. 

ESPN's Dan Graziano explained in a piece shared Tuesday morning that Payton wants "to see Wilson turn upfield and use his legs more when the play breaks down" during the upcoming season. Wilson's 55 rushing attempts in Hackett's offense were the second-fewest of his career after the veteran recorded just 43 rushes across 14 games the previous campaign. 

"There were some good things in the running game today," Payton added about Wilson and the offense. "Each day, you kind of look at the film and you start again with the corrections. I have been pleased with his progress and where he is at dating back to the offseason and to where we are now into our first full week (of training camp.)" 

Whatever reasons Payton had for verbally scorching Hackett won't matter in the long run if Wilson fails to reclaim the form that made him a nine-time Pro Bowl selection by the halfway point of this season. It's widely thought Payton won't hesitate to bench Wilson during Denver's Week 9 bye depending on what occurs over the campaign's first eight games, a stretch that includes a home matchup against none other than Hackett and the Jets in Week 5.