Broncos' Russell Wilson, Sean Payton Reportedly 'Get Along Really Well'

The Sean Payton era is off to about as bad a beginning as possible after an 0-3 start capped by a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.

At the very least, it appears the relationship between Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson is going "really well," per The Athletic's Dianna Russini during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Wilson joined the Broncos in 2022 after a 10-year stint in Seattle. The Broncos proceeded to sport the NFL's lowest-scoring offense last year, and Wilson had the worst statistical season of his career.

However, he's done far better under Payton in 2023, with his completion percentage (60.5 to 65.4), yards per attempt (7.3 to 7.6) and quarterback rating (84.4 to 99.5) all on the rise year to year.

The Broncos are 15th in scoring and eighth in yards per play, so the offense isn't the issue in Denver right now. Rather, the defense has taken a dramatic step backward since 2021, when it was third in fewest points allowed per game. That dipped to 14th in 2022 and dead last this year.

The week before the Dolphins disaster, the Washington Commanders went for 35 points and 388 yards in a road win in Denver.

Sunday will prove to be a big litmus test for both sides of the ball when Denver visits the Chicago Bears, who are 0-3 and have been outscored by an NFL-high 59 points thus far. We'll see if the Payton-Wilson relationship results in continued offensive success against a struggling Bears defense soon enough when the two sides face off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.