Sean Payton broke the coach’s code by ripping a fellow coach, according to the man the new Broncos’ head man took aim at.
New Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett responded to Payton’s scathing comments on Wednesday.
“As a coach, we live in a glass house. We know that,” said Hackett, who didn’t even wait for questions, starting his press conference with a statement instead. “There’s a code and there’s a way things are done in that house. This past week, it’s frustrating and it sucks. But we’re all susceptible to it. There are things you do, mistakes you make and it costs you time on the field, it costs you your job, all those things, and I own that stuff. I got no excuses.”
“It’s unfortunate that had to happen, the comments that were made. But, hey, they did. I was probably more surprised they happened now. I was definitely expecting them in Week 5 [when the Jets face the Broncos].”
In a story in USA Today last week, Payton went after Hackett’s 15-game stint as the Broncos head coach, calling it “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”
Denver was 4-11 at the time of his dismissal, near the end of by far the worst season of quarterback Russell Wilson’s career.
Payton also singled out the Jets as the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason,” suggesting they are attempting to take a shortcut.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, extremely close to Hackett, went back at Payton, calling him “insecure.”
“I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth,” Rodgers said Sunday on NFL+.
Hackett said he’s received incredible support from everyone in the Jets organization, and Payton’s attack has brought the team closer together.
However, he wouldn’t say it made him look forward to facing the Broncos on Oct. 8.
“Just another game,” Hackett said.