Broncos head coach Sean Payton made headlines this week by saying that his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett did “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL” and he also had something to say about Hackett’s current team.
Hackett is now the offensive coordinator of the Jets, who made a bigger offseason splash by trading for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The attention that move generated helped the NFL and HBO select the Jets as this year’s Hard Knocks team, which Payton called part of “the P.R., the pomp and circumstance, marching people around and all this stuff” that the Broncos will be avoiding during his tenure.
Payton added that he “can see it coming” in a reference to the Jets failing to live up to raised expectations. Jets head coach Robert Saleh was asked about Payton’s comments at his Thursday press conference and said Payton can “say whatever the hell he wants” before saying that he’s not bothered by outside talk about the team.
“I kind of live by a saying — ‘If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t popping.’ So hate away,” Saleh said, via SNY. “Obviously we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play you until Week Four.”
The Jets are actually in Denver in Week Five and Saleh might just bring out some of his receipts to help make sure his team is fully reminded of Payton’s words that week.