The Denver Broncos coach didn’t hold back talking about his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers QB.

PITTSBURGH — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton carried his team to the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. And despite a first-round exit, Payton saw all of the positives that came from his season with a new quarterback. So much so, that he let it be known how bad it was with the now-Pittsburgh Steelers QB.

During his end of the year press conference, Payton looked back at his time in 2023, and took a brutal shot at Wilson in the process.

“We’re a lot closer than we were at this time a year ago. That was misery, sorrow, drudgery — give me some other adjectives — just, that was brutal. It was miserable. Let’s say that,” Payton told reporters.

Wilson was benched near the end of the 2023 season with the Broncos and released despite taking on a $85 million hit in dead salary cap money. He signed with the Steelers on a one-year, veteran minimum deal, where he led Pittsburgh to the Wild Card round as well.

The Broncos appear to have their future, but all indications point to the Steelers being another team to move on from Wilson. It appears Justin Fields is the running favorite to remain in Pittsburgh, taking over as the starter after going 4-2 last season before Wilson returned from a calf injury.

Wilson will likely get an opportunity elsewhere in 2025, but with other options out there, it’s unknown how likely he is to remain a starter.