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New York Jets players Randall Cobb and Billy Turner have slammed Sean Payton after the Denver Broncos head coach stunningly shaded Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. In an interview with USA TODAY, Payton said Hackett's job with the Broncos in 2022 "might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL." To no one's surprise, Payton's comments quickly went viral as many were left stunned that an NFL head coach made such a remark publicly.
“Am I surprised? No, not in this day and age. As a man, I think it’s pretty soft. Think he’s trying to soften the blow. That’s not my team, I’m not worried about them. He can say what he wants to say," Jets wide receiver Cobb said, via The New York Post.
Cobb and Hackett know each other very well, having worked together for several years in Green Bay. “I know who Hackett is, I know what he brings to our team. I know how he’s going to motivate guys and how he’s going to make the game fun.
And that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. He’s a big part of the reason I wanted to come to the Jets," Cobb said.
Cobb, Turner rip Payton after comments on Hackett
Jets offensive tackle Turner also came to Hackett's defense, saying Payton's comments were nothing but an attempt "to soften" what will happen to the Broncos in 2023.
"Seems like someone started training camp and is trying to soften the blow after realizing he's in for this season. (Expletive) bum," Turner wrote on his Instagram. Hackett's tenure with the Broncos indeed went horribly wrong as the Broncos - who entered the 2022 season with Super Bowl aspirations - finished with a 5-12 record and didn't even come near making the playoffs.
Hackett didn't even last one full season in Denver as he was fired with two games left on the schedule. Now, Hackett is with the Jets and hoping to bounce back after a failed stint with the Broncos.