Sabotage in the Mile High City? Russell Wilson’s rocky stint in Denver fizzled out, and the blame game started with HC Sean Payton in the crosshairs. Some fans screamed sabotage, thinking Payton was intentionally undermining the veteran QB. But Broncos’ icon Mark Schlereth isn’t having it, slamming those accusations as straight-up “bulls***.”

The three-time Super Bowl champion Schlereth stepped forward to defend Denver’s HC. “If you think Sean Payton sabotaged Russell Wilson, then you’re a moron,” he declared on his X handle. Here’s the crux of the argument: fans believe Wilson was never given a fair shot, and that Payton didn’t have his back.

“You need to leave Russell Wilson alone and let him enjoy the rest of his career,” one fan posted on X. “Your takes on him are becoming eerie similar to that of Skip Bayless on LeBron. He has had a glorious career so far and headed to d hof. Let him be….”

It all started with Wilson’s struggles in Denver. After a hefty fourth-round trade from Seattle and a blockbuster contract extension (five-year, $245 million), Pittsburgh’s new QB’s on-field performance didn’t live up to the expectations. A 1-5 record to open the season, coupled with interceptions and missed throws, painted a grim picture. Then came the benching, sparking wild sabotage rumors. 

But hold up—there’s another angle. Some reports say Payton was actually trying to fix things by reshaping the dual-threat QB’s contract during the bye week. “I did reach out to Russ’ agent in good faith and create an attempt to adjust his contract,” Payton said, via NFL.com. “We couldn’t get a deal done, moved on with our season, didn’t come up again.”

Wilson, however, didn’t alter his contract and was released by Denver. Defending coach Payton further, radio sportscaster and former Broncos legend Schlereth pointed out Wilson’s self-centered attitude, as he revealed the nine-time Pro Bowler had his own personal QB coach, which some see as a sign of a player not fully invested in the team’s system.

While Schlereth has got Payton’s back, the question remains: Was the coach really playing favorites? Russell Wilson himself felt he was deliberately being benched. 

Wilson’s Denver drama ends with benching and contract disputes 

Russell Wilson’s Denver story ended with a bang, not a whimper. After guiding the Broncos to their first win over the Chiefs since 2015, Wilson revealed team officials pressured him to alter a contract guarantee or face being benched. “They definitely told me I was going to be benched,” he said. “That whole bye week, I didn’t know what was going to be the case. I was going to be ready to play, I wanted to go to Buffalo and beat Buffalo. I wasn’t going to remove the injury guarantee. It was a tough situation, especially after we beat the Chiefs.”

The Broncos pushed for Wilson to drop a $37 million injury guarantee from his monster $242.6 million deal. And the QB wasn’t having it, leading to his benching for Jarrett Stidham. Coach Payton says it was all about “winning” and sparking the team, but Wilson called it a “low blow,” especially after a big win.

Now rocking a Steelers jersey, Wilson’s future is in fresh territory. Will he turn things around in Pittsburgh? What do you think?