Broncos' Sean Payton blasts Jets and Nathaniel Hackett

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The Jets will be extra fired up for their Week 5 game in Denver after new Broncos head coach Sean Payton ripped them and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

In an interview with USA Today, Payton said the Broncos’ awful 2022 season was “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” Hackett was fired as Denver’s head coach with two weeks left in the regular season and the Broncos carrying a 4-11 record.

Payton also said the Broncos were too concerned with winning the offseason last year after landing Russell Wilson. Payton likened it to the Jets this year. They acquired Aaron Rodgers and there’s been nonstop hype around them. Payton predicted it may blow up in the Jets’ faces.

“We’re not doing any of that,” Payton said. “The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming. Remember when [former Washington owner] Dan Snyder put that Dream Team together? I was at the Giants [in 2000]. I was a young coach. I thought, ‘How are we going to compete with them? Deion’s [Sanders] there now.’ That team won eight games or whatever. So, listen… just put the work in.”

Robert Saleh wouldn’t comment on what Payton said, but the Jets coach was clearly bothered. He gave an impassioned answer and defended Hackett and his team.

“I’m not going to acknowledge Sean on that,” Saleh said. “He’s been in the league a while. He can say whatever the hell he wants. As far as what we have going on here, I kind of live by the saying, 'If you ain’t got no haters you ain’t popping.' So hate away.

“Obviously, we’re doing something right if you got to talk about us when we don’t play you until Week 5 and I’m good with it. The guys in our locker room, they’ve earned everything that’s coming to them. And I’m really excited about what’s going on. Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job. The coaching staff is doing a phenomenal job. We’re focused on us."

“I get it,” Saleh continued. “There’s a lot of external noise. There’s a lot of people who are hating us. There’s a lot of people looking for us to fail. There’s a lot of crows pecking at our neck. But all you can do is spread your wings, keep flying high until those crows fall off and suffocate from their inability to breathe.”

The Jets play in Denver on Oct. 8.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.