Sean Payton on Russell Wilson's Image Concerns: 'F--king Stop Kissing All the Babies'

As part of his plan to rejuvenate his star quarterback, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told Russell Wilson to "focus less on Russell Inc.," according to ESPN's Seth Wickersham.

Wickersham reported Payton was blunt with the nine-time Pro Bowler.

"Will you f--king stop kissing all the babies?" he told Wilson at one point. "You're not running for public office."

The veteran passer has cultivated a certain image over the years, one that Payton alluded to that's something akin to an ambassador or elder statesman. You don't see many players sitting next to Commissioner Roger Goodell in a luxury box at the Super Bowl.

It's also no secret Wilson harbors ambitions that extend beyond his playing career. ESPN's Brady Henderson once spoke to Wilson's agent, Mark Rodgers, who offered a telling anecdote when recounting a 2010 meeting he had with Wilson.

"It was extraordinary," Rodgers said. "It wasn't about football and baseball. It was about a legacy. It was about a foundation. It was about businesses. It was about owning a team some day, an NFL team. It was about building an empire."

In general, all of that is irrelevant when a player is performing at a high level. Michael Jordan was one of the most brand-conscious superstars ever, and it didn't matter much as he won six NBA titles.

This becomes more of an issue when the player stops delivering.

With Wilson, he was getting it from all sides amid his dreadful 2022 season. Payton isn't even the first voice to highlight the 34-year-old's perceived fixation on his image. Last October, NFL Network's Kyle Brandt described him as a "poser" and "one of the least authentic personalities we have in this league."

Comments like those won't be going away if Wilson fails to turn things around in his first season under Payton.